Just the Justice
by CheerLoveGale
Summary: Set in PC, royals Avaline and Caspian narrowly escape when Miraz plans to kill them both in order for his newborn son to win the throne. Ava didn't expect to find love, but of course, you always find things when you least expect them. Will the coming war interfere, or will she remain true to her loved ones? Mainly Edmund/OC, little Suspian. R&R. Rated T for war and romance.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hey you guys! I'm so incredibly excited to say that I've begun my first non-Hunger Games fanfic! I've worked a little on Twilight once, it was a Rosalie/Emmett one-shot, but I've never shared any fanfiction works unless they're THG-based. And I just got a new golden retriever puppy a few hours ago! YAY! She's so cute! Her name is Harriet, and she's 5 ½ weeks old, hehe. She's precious. Anyways, so as you can see, I'm in an excellent mood, therefore you should be receiving an excellent chapter. So please enjoy! And remember to review when you're finished.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia books or movies, nor do I own any of the settings, characters, or themes in it. I only own my original characters.**

**I'm starting with the prologue so that hopefully everything will make more sense later.**

-Prologue-

The cries of newborn baby pierced the air. My mother held up the tiny infant, the prince of Narnia.

"Do you want to see your new baby brother?" my mother asked me.

I nodded and peered cautiously over her shoulder at the person she held in her arms. "He looks like daddy," I commented.

My mother nodded. Then the maid spoke. "Shall we fetch his Highness?"

The beautiful woman in front of me nodded her head slowly, careful not to wake the now-sleeping baby. "And make sure Avaline gets to bed, if you please, Balmia."

"Yes, your Majesty," the maid and my nurse, Balmia, replied. Balmia bowed gently to the dark-haired queen, my mother, before taking my hand in hers and leading me out of the room.

"Where are we going, Nurse Balmia?" I asked her.

"Going to fetch your father. And then, we're putting the little princess to sleep." When she said princess, I sighed. As the princess, my father, the powerful King Miraz, orders me to get a good night's sleep every evening. All I ever want to do is stay up, though. I just want to grow up and be just like my mother, who stays up late with my father every night. But whenever I ask, daddy says no, and that a young girl like me should not be up at such ungodly hours as I wish.

Balmia and I walked hand in hand down the long, dark hallways and corridors of the castle, searching for my father. It was very late, and I was beginning to get tired, though I'd never admit it to anyone.

"Your lordship, you must know the standard of royalty. I simply cannot have him around any longer. He will ruin the chances of ever-"

"Your majesty," Balmia curtsied with her eyes never leaving the king's as she requested his attention.

"Yes?" my father asked, raising an eyebrow. He looked down and saw me at her side and exclaimed, "Why is the princess still awake, may I ask?"

"My king, Queen Prunaprismia requested her presence at the birth of your son."

At this, father jumped. My blood-relative stared at her intently. "A son?" Balmia simply nodded in reply. "I must go see at once. Meanwhile, get the princess in bed immediately. The reason is excusable, but only this once, milady. See to it that it doesn't happen again."

Balmia curtsied once more to the departing king before looking to me. "Princess Avaline, come now. We must get you in bed before anyone else finds you awake." We walked up a staircase and two dark corridors, lit only by the flickering torches held on the walls, before we reached my quarters. Balmia opened the door for me and bowed as I entered, then walked in herself and opened my wardrobe. She selected a light pink sleeping gown for me to change into, and silently led me to the screen that I change behind.

As soon as I am changed and my hair is released from its half-up, half-down style, I climb into the cozy double bed. Balmia looks down at me before holding the edge of the covers and pulling them up under my chin. "Sleep well, little princess," she tells me. The kind nurse begins to move toward the door when I stop her.

"Will you read me a bedtime story, nurse?"

"I'm sorry, your Majesty, but I have the baby Prince to attend to," she tells me. "And it is far too late for stories this evening. My apologies."

I nod my head once as she closes the door to my room, leaving me in complete darkness. It seems like I've been asleep for only seconds before a large hand is clamped over my mouth. I try to scream, but it comes out muffled by the hand. I struggle heavily to loosen myself from the man's grasp (I can tell it's a man by his features) but I lose strength quickly, my being on ten years old. Suddenly, the world becomes blurry, and I sink down into darkness.

**A/N: So, how'd y'all like it? Harriet's asleep so I've had no distractions whatsoever from writing this chapter, or the prologue, I guess I should call it. I'm pretty proud of myself for that one, not to brag or anything. I'm pretty proud of it so far, and I'm sure you guys will, too. But even if you don't, please review. I'd appreciate constructive criticism on my writing, too, if you don't mind. Thanks a lot and I hope you liked it:)**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! Chapter 1 of **_**Just the Justice **_**is being written as I type… because I'm writing it on the Word document right now, and I'm typing so… You know what, never mind! I'm talking nonsense again. I do that a lot. Anyways, to keep myself from confusing you any further, I'm going to go ahead and type my disclaimer, and then I may put a short introductory sentence to the chapter before the story will begin. So, yeah.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia, nor do I own any of its characters, settings, themes, etc. I only own the OCs and the plot of this story.**

**Before we begin, I just want to say that because Miraz had a daughter, everything has changed. It will be explained later. It has been six years since the prologue in the story, and Trumpkin has only found Caspian and Avaline two days ago. Trust me, it'll be explained in the coming chapters very soon. So anyways, onward, to **_**Just the Justice, **_**chapter one!**

-Chapter 1-

"Good morning, your Majesty," Trumpkin greeted me with false cheerfulness. _How very friendly of him, _I thought.

"You know, if you're going to be rude, you don't even have to open your mouth," I tell him. "But I appreciate the warm greeting," I finished with a hint of sarcasm.

"I suggest you be quiet before I take up Nikabrik's idea of killing you here and now. You're a Telmarine, and we don't need any more around here if we can help it," he said.

Before I could answer with an equally rude reply, I heard someone clear his throat behind us. I turned to find Caspian, my cousin, glaring at the two of us. "I see you two are starting off the morning well," he said, eyeing Trumpkin with a face that said "back off."

My dark-haired cousin with his brown eyes and olive-toned skin was always coming to my rescue, though sometimes it was unnoticeable, like today. He says things sometimes that make you wonder whether he's helping you or if he's making things worse. This morning, had I not known better, I would've thought the latter. However, living with my cousin for sixteen years, meaning my whole life, has taught me his ways.

Right now, he's sitting in the courtyard of Cair Paravel, joining the place where I have been sitting for the past five minutes and where the dwarf next to me has been since the crack of dawn. Literally.

"So, what's on the schedule today?" I asked Trumpkin. Every day since we arrived here six years ago after running away from my father and Caspian's uncle, King Miraz, we've gone exploring, or anything to get away from the hopeless gloom that sits over Cair Paravel, our new home. Although the old place is in ruins, it's still absolutely beautiful, and we sleep, eat, and pretty much live there whenever we aren't out and about.

"I think I'm going to explore today. You and Caspian most likely will want to do the same, but I don't wish for you two to accompany me on my journey today. It will be a long one, and possibly treacherous. I wouldn't want _your Majesties _to get hurt," Trumpkin responded, scoffing the last part.

"What are you doing?" Caspian asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing. Just don't question it; he might change his mind," I said, grinning at my cousin jokingly. Caspian joined in my laughter when I couldn't hold it in any longer, causing Trumpkin to slap both of us across the face teasingly.

Trumpkin handed the two of us an apple and we began to eat. Breakfasts were always the same here in the ruins of the ancient palace. We lived right under the apple orchard, and since there wasn't exactly anything else to eat nearby, we had apples for meals usually. Occasionally, as a special treat, one of the men would go down to the sea and catch a fish or two for supper. But that didn't happen very often, unfortunately.

After breakfast, the dwarf began packing a few apples into a cloth sack that he has had since the day we found him. "May I ask where it is you're planning on going?" Caspian asked.

"Not to be rude, but I'm afraid that it's not any of your business, your Majesty," Trumpkin replied, refusing to meet our eyes.

Shrugging it off, Caspian and I ran off to change into our everyday clothes. At night, he simply slipped off his boots and light body armor that he has worn every day since our escape from my father's palace, and slept in his tunic and trousers. However, I merely loosen my corset and slide off my own boots. So in the mornings, we had to change our appearance just a bit in case we saw someone, though I hadn't laid eyes on civilization for six years besides finding Trumpkin a month ago and living with my cousin.

As soon as we had on our shoes and were dressed properly, we came back to camp. There Trumpkin stood, waiting for us. "Your Majesties," he said, "I must tell you that I may not be coming back for quite a while. I expect that you will-"

"Trumpkin, please tell me you're not spying on them again," Prince Caspian sighed.

"Your Highness, I must. The Telmarines have been waiting for six years now, and just by looking across the sea, I can see them preparing. They've waited long enough, and now they are not going to waste any time at all in getting to you. You must trust that I will do everything I can to protect you and old Narnia."

We all stood in a small triangle formation now, me and Caspian staring at Trumpkin, Trumpkin's eyes flitting between mine and the Telmarine prince's. Finally, the silence between the three of us was broken. "Fine, you may go. Do you know what time you will be heading out?" the Telmarine prince asked.

"Right now, if you don't mind."

"Good, then farewell. And please, be safe. We must have a guardian of some sort to help us out as we're growing up," I said, mimicking Trumpkin himself the first day he spent with us. We had been trying to convince him that he didn't have to stay with us, and that we knew how to care for ourselves. He had been pretty skeptical about staying with us or leaving. But in the end, he obviously stayed.

"Don't mock me," the dwarf said through his teeth harshly. Caspian and I laughed happily at the red-faced person in front of us before saying our goodbyes for the day. I leaned down to hug Trumpkin, and he surprisingly allowed me to. Caspian shook his hand and gave a slight nod to the dwarf, and then he was off. Before the man could get more than a yard in front of us on his journey, he suddenly stopped. "Your Majesties," he said, requesting our attention.

"Yes?" Caspian and I said synonymously.

"I must warn you before I depart. I don't know what those Telmarines have told you, but if they've told you anything about the forest, you must assume it to be true. You must stay within the confines of this castle. The woods… well, they can be a dangerous place when you're alone. I wouldn't underestimate them."

My cousin and I exchanged glances before turning back to Trumpkin. "What do you mean?" I asked hesitantly. I had overheard my father and the general once, years ago, discussing the woods.

_"I don't care whether you're afraid of the forest or not, you will enter it! And you will bring back that irresponsible little midget!" King Miraz said._

_ "My King, I'm afraid that this cannot be done. There must be some other way-"_

_ "No, there is no other way. Now you will do as I say, or you will be banished from Narnia forever!" my father yelled at the general, and I suppose they left, because that was the last sound I heard from either of them._

I shuddered at the memory. Sometimes my father scared me. Whenever he got mad, he was absolutely terrifying. His face was extremely alarming, and his eyes got so big they practically popped out of his head. I know he's my father, but he can be pretty scary.

Then Trumpkin spoke again. "It doesn't matter what I mean. You will _not_ venture into the forest alone, and you will _not _question my motives, your Majesties!"

I immediately gave in to the dwarf, not wanting to be yelled at for any longer. Not only was the memory of my father scaring me, but having a person half the size of me scold me was horrible. I really was not in the mood to be reprimanded.

The small man nodded to each of us, and left. I watched him as he left, and only turned once he disappeared over the small hill and seemingly into rising sun over the horizon.

It was late night when I woke. The ruins around me were in pitch blackness; I couldn't see anything at all except Caspian's sleeping figure a few yards away from me.

"Caspian!" I whispered. He didn't stir. I crawled on my hands and knees over to his blanket and shook his shoulder. "Caspian. Caspian, wake up!"

He rolled over, mumbled something unintelligible, and fell back asleep. "Caspian!" I said a little louder, flicking him on the forehead roughly.

"Ah!" he yelled, reaching for his sword and pointing it in different directions around him. I jumped back two feet in surprise, not expecting him to be sleeping with his sword.

"Caspian, calm down! It's just me," I said.

I watched as his frightened expression slowly became one of serenity. When he was composed he asked, "What is it, Avaline?"

"I—I thought I heard a wolf howling. Or maybe a coyote…" I replied hesitantly. I didn't want him to think I was waking him for no reason, nor did I want him to think I was a baby.

"Avaline, there are no wolves or coyotes around here. We've been living here for over five years, and I've never once seen or heard any of those."

"But—I really did hear something," I said, my voice cracking on the last two words.

"And I have no doubt in my mind that you did hear something. I just know that you didn't hear a coyote or a wolf. I'll stay up with you for just a little longer to make you feel safer, but then we both need to go back to sleep," here Caspian looked to the moon," It's only two in the morning. We have at least three hours left until dawn."

"Okay. Thanks, Caspian," I said gratefully. He simply nodded in reply, pulling my blanket over so that it was closer to his. It wasn't too close; I was his cousin, but it was only a few feet away from mine instead of a few yards as it was previously.

We lay in silence, staring up at the stars before I heard another noise. It sounded like footsteps… _running _footsteps. The footsteps of a person.

"Caspian, do you hear that?" I whispered. I felt a hand grip my forearm tightly, and pulling me up to my feet. "Caspian, what—?"

"Shhh! Just follow me!" He whispered. My cousin led me quickly through the ruins of the castle and into the forest beyond, to where our horses were. "Here, quickly! Mount Phillip and I'll be right behind you."

I slipped my right foot into the stirrup while swinging my left leg over the side, getting myself firmly seated on the saddle. Caspian slid up in front of me, grabbing the reins and kicking Phillip into a gallop. I held on tightly to his waist, not wanting to fall off the horse, which could very easily happen considering the speed we were going.

Behind us, I could hear the pursuit of the people that wanted us—if they were, in fact, people.

"Caspian, can't he go any faster?" I shouted out over the howling wind that had picked up.

"No, he's already beginning to slow down. We've pushed him too far," Caspian replied. It was then that I realized how long we had truly been riding. It had been about half an hour since we first began our escape, and we were, slowly but surely, decelerating. We had lost them for awhile, but when we began slowing, they had caught up.

Suddenly, a tree fell in front of us at our exact height, and Caspian's head hit, giving the horse a fright, and making Caspian and me fall to the ground. We fell in front of a small hut hidden behind a large circle of trees. A door opened in the hut, and a dwarf a little shorter than Trumpkin appeared in the doorway holding a long, sharp dagger, pointed at us. Caspian scrambled back, yanking his saddle bag off a tree that it had gotten hung on, and snatched something out of it.

The dwarf's eyes grew large at the sight of whatever it was Caspian was holding; I couldn't make out what it was in the dark of the night. The shape, however, I could see, and I had never seen anything like it. It was skinny at the top, and wider at the back, which appeared to be an opening. The object's form was curved slightly into a strange crescent-like shape.

The man ran quicker towards us as I heard the hoofs of the men that were chasing us pounding on the earth very close to us. "No!" I cried, and Caspian shielded my body with his. He looked around quickly before putting the object to his mouth. A loud noise pierced the silence of the night (if you don't include the hoofs of the men's horses and the dwarf's feet moving towards us all at once) and then the world went black.

**A/N: So, how did you guys like it? I think I did pretty good, though at some points I just thought that there was too much conversation going on between the characters. And I almost ran out of synonyms for "calm down" and "slowly," so around those points in the story, I like, totally flipped out. I was all like, "OMG they're gonna hate my story!" But now I'm over it… sort of. So yeah, I'm talking nonsense again. Hey, but before I go and you move on to whatever else you want to do today, do you see that little button down there? Click it! It says review; hint, hint. ;) Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey, readers! It's me, Ginny:) I'm feeling happy and angry at the same time, because this girl in my class that I was blocking during PE today (we were playing Ultimate) shoved me in the ribs and the head more than once, and when my friend started chewing her out for being so rude to everybody, she started yelling back! Not that I didn't expect her to or anything, it just came as a shocker for some reason. And then, when our team won, her team started whining about how it was unfair. I just thought it was funny because one of the boys on that team has never lost before in any game at PE, so yeah. That was interesting. Anyways, sorry for venting to you all. Before I write my disclaimer and begin, I just want to thank everyone who's been reading this. It truly is awesome to have people reading my stories! But the one thing I didn't notice… y'all aren't reviewing! Come on folks, I thirst for reviews! JK, but please review. And enjoy this next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia, nor do I own any characters, settings, or themes in it. I only own my OC(s).**

-Chapter 2-

My eyelids flutter open to voices in the next room. There is a slight clanking of metal also, and I suppose someone is eating. Then, someone speaks.

"Trufflehunter, this bread is so stale!"

"I'll just get them some soup then, they both should be coming around soon," another person whom I'm supposing to be Trufflehunter, answers.

"Yeah, well I don't think I hit him hard enough," the other man says.

"Nikabrik! He's just a boy!" Trufflehunter exclaims in shock.

"He's a Telmarine, not some lost puppy. You said you would get rid of him. And the female, too," the man I'm supposing to be Nikabrik retorts.

"No, I said I would take care of him. We can't kill him now, we just bandaged his head; it would be like murdering a guest! And I think we're forgetting about the girl. If we have him killed off, wouldn't we have to do away with her, too, Nikabrik?" Trufflehunter says. I am completely and utterly confused as to what in heaven's name the two are talking about, but then the pieces slowly begin to fit together and I realize they're talking about me and Caspian.

_What should I do? _I think. I've never been in a situation like this before, not even so many years ago when my father was out to get Caspian and me. Then we had protection; now we don't.

I slowly begin to raise myself out of the bed, but my head doesn't make it a foot off the pillow before a rough hand grabs my arm. I open my mouth to scream, but the man knows it's coming and claps the same hand over my mouth, keeping the other one on my side. He slowly, still keeping his hands over my mouth, moves in front of me. I realize, though the lighting is dim, that the man is Caspian. He removes his hands from me and puts a finger to his lips, signaling for me to keep quiet. I nod in response as he tiptoes out of the room and down the three steps into the main room where I was hearing the voices earlier.

"Ah!" a voice yells.

I see the shadow of Caspian's hand quickly yanking something from the wall, and recognize the shape of his sword. He points it at something and then swings it across the room to face something else, all the while keeping a close eye out for the first creature.

Then a loud clang of metal on metal is heard and I see Caspian duck, and pick something up off a small table that is visible from the doorway I'm looking through. He blocks the next hit with the newly-acquired metal pot lid, and then hits again with his sword. Finally, it stops.

"Enough, that's enough!" Trufflehunter says.

There's deep breathing in the room, and then I hear one of the stranger's voices, Nikabrik's, I think. "See, I told you we should've killed him when we had the chance!"

"Nikabrik! You _know _why we can't do that!" Trufflehunter exclaimed, obviously shocked by the thought of doing such a thing.

"If we're taking a vote, I'm with him," Caspian says, speaking for the first time since the argument began.

I can't help but stifle a laugh at his remark. Although he probably didn't mean for it to be humorous, it was.

"Well we can't just let him go. He's seen us," the black dwarf says, glaring between my cousin and I. I'm getting really tired of the confused feeling that has been consuming me since I woke up about half an hour ago.

There's a loud bang as a large pot hits the hard dirt floor. I flinch away from the noise. "Enough, Nikabrik! Or do I have to sit on your head again?" Trufflehunter explodes while giving Nikabrik the death glare. I have to admit, I'm pretty scared of it myself. "And you two," he says, giving me and Caspian a pointed look, "look what you made me do. I spent half the morning on that soup."

Trufflehunter leans down to clean up the mess he's made, and there's a long silence that fills the air of the small hut before Caspian speaks. "What are you?"

"You know, it's funny you should ask that. You'd think more people would know a badger when they see one," Trufflehunter says.

"No, no, I mean… you're Narnians. You're supposed to be extinct," Caspian corrects himself, stuttering slightly.

Nikabrik scoffs and replies, "Well, sorry to disappoint you."

Trufflehunter then moves over to where I'm now sitting at their small kitchen table and sets a small bowl in front of me. "Here you go. Still warm," he says.

I give a faint smile and murmur my thanks before digging in. The small badger then hands Caspian a bowl, and he too begins to sip at it.

"Since when have we set up a boarding house for Telmarine soldiers and their girlfriends?" Nikabrik asks.

I exchange a glance with Caspian before he speaks. "I'm not a soldier. I am Prince Caspian… the tenth."

"And I'm Princess Avaline," I add, not wanting to be completely forgotten.

Trufflehunter looks surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Running away," Caspian replies for both of us, "My uncle has always wanted my throne. I suppose I have only lived this long because he did not have an heir of his own."

Nikabrik points the spoon he's eating with towards me. "And you… you're his sister?"

I shake my head. "My uncle only wanted me so once he died, there'd be at least one child of his on the throne. He planned for me and Caspian to rule together, if Caspian didn't die like his father."

Trufflehunter puts down the dish he's washing and sits down at the seat across from me. "Well that changes things."

"Yeah," my cousin agrees quietly.

"Means we don't have to kill you ourselves," the black dwarf adds in.

"You're right," Caspian says, breaking his gaze from the two Narnians and rising from his chair. He locks eyes with me and I can tell he wants me to get up, also, but I don't.

"Where are you going?" the badger asks, standing up too.

"My uncle won't give up until I am dead. And as for my cousin… who knows what will become of her if she is found now."

Trufflehunter holds up something of a creamy white color with a brown leather strap around it. I realize it's the same shape I saw in Caspian's hand the night I blacked out. He looks Caspian deep in the eyes and I know he's referring to the object in his hand when he says, "Don't you know what this is?"

**A/N: A bit of a cliffhanger there. I wanted to end the chapter here to leave all of the people that haven't seen the movie in just a bit of suspense… though this is and 99.999% of the people reading this right now have either read the books, seen the movie, or both. So either way, you probably know what's coming next. But either way, hopefully you're left in suspense of what happens in the next chapter.**

**Just to go ahead and put this out there, this is not a Caspian/OC story. They're cousins, and they are not going to end up together. Eventually, when I finally have the time to write some more chapters, Edmund and his siblings will show up and Avaline will like Edmund and Edmund… well, I'll ruin it if I tell you now! So I'm going to shut up and let you push the button that says 'review.' See it? It's somewhere around here. Find it, click it, and type what you thought about the chapter in the text box, then press 'submit review.' It's that easy XD. Thanks for reading and hope you have a Happy January!**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm not going to waste too much time talking because I just want you to read this, so here's the small bit I want to say:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia, nor do I own any settings, themes, or characters from or in it. I only own this story's themes and OCs.**

**Sometime within the next chapter or two, the Pevensies will be coming into the story. Yay! That means that the whole point of this story will start coming into play. Yippee! I hope you guys are as excited as I am. XD so read and review now, folks!**

"I can hear you," I say. I roll my eyes at Trufflehunter, trying his hardest to slip in and out of the weeds and ferns growing at our feet silently.

He stands up straight and looks embarrassed when he realizes that someone besides Nikabrik found him. He then smoothes his expression. "I think we should just wait for the kings and queens."

"Fine then! See if the others will be as understanding. Or maybe I'll come with you," Nikabrik says.

"I'd like to see you explain things to the minotaurs," Trufflehunter mutters.

"Minotaurs?" Caspian asked, "They're real?"

"And very bad tempered," Trufflehunter added.

"Yeah, not to mention big," said Nikabrik.

"Huge."

"What about Centaurs? Do they still exist?" I asked. I had never been told Narnian tales by my nurse, Balmia. Caspian had always been told these legends by Doctor Cornelius, his professor. His nurse used to tell him these stories, too. All of the Narnian stories and legends I knew of were told to me by Caspian.

"They'll probably fight on our side," Trufflehunter says, "But there's no telling what the others will do." I felt a shiver run down my spine at these words, and it wasn't because of the weather. In fact, the sun had been bearing down on our backs ever since we began our journey earlier today to find the kings and queens of old.

"Well," Caspian began, panting slightly as he took the last step up the hill we had just finished climbing. "What about Aslan?"

This stopped Trufflehunter and Nikabrik, and even me, dead in our tracks. "How do you know so much about us?" Nikabrik asked suspiciously with one eyebrow raised.

"Stories," Caspian shrugged as if not seeing how shocked the three of us were.

Trufflehunter took a few steps towards Caspian. "Wait a minute. Your—your father told you stories about us, about Narnia?"

"No, my professor. He-"

"Look," I interrupt, "I don't think that these are the kinds of questions you should be asking."

"No, Avaline, it's fine—Trufflehunter, what are you doing?" Caspian says.

It was at this point that I noticed what the badger was doing. Now rounding the trunk of a large tree and starting off in a straight line in front of me with his nose to the ground, he looked mighty focused.

"What is it?" Nikabrik asks.

"Human."

"Them?" Nikabrik suggests the obvious.

"No," Trufflehunter says. He looks up and there, directly in front of our eyes, are Telmarine soldiers.

"No," Trufflehunter repeats. "Them."

"Run!" Caspian yells as he turns around and dashes in the opposite direction. I quickly shove the small pack I'm wearing into place and run after him, Nikabrik in front of Caspian.

"Oh no," Nikabrik says, turning around dead in his tracks. Caspian and I turn around also, and find Trufflehunter, looking desperately between us and the invading Telmarines. Nikabrik makes a move to help his friend, who is a few yards behind us now, but Caspian intervenes.

"Wait! I'll go," my cousin says as he runs toward the badger. Nikabrik and I just stand and stare with our mouths hanging half open at the bravery the young man is showing. When Caspian reaches Trufflehunter, they quickly converse, and the animal holds something up to my cousin, who pushes it back before slinging the creature of his shoulder along with the horn in his hand, and runs.

In a few seconds, Trufflehunter is set down in front of my feet. "Get him out of here," Caspian says frantically. Nikabrik and I run a few feet away before I see the trouble that Caspian is in. He has his sword out of its sheath and is holding it toward his enemies, with his back to me.

"Listen to me," I say, leaning down and holding Nikabrik's shoulders. "Get him out of here, and take care of yourselves. I have to help."

By now, Trufflehunter has recovered from his recent predicament and holds out a small paw, which he places on my arm. "No, your Majesty. You are too fragile for us to risk you getting hurt. Let us go instead."

"No, Trufflehunter. This isn't your fight to struggle."

"But, Princess, you're unarmed!" Trufflehunter replies, stunned at my suggestion.

"I don't care. I'm not going to leave my cousin to do this alone," I say as I run across the field full of underbrush.

Suddenly, something slashes against my ankles sharply. I look down with a sharp yelp, and am suddenly flipped over onto my back by a creature I now see. It appears to be a giant mouse.

"Now, let's try this one more time. Choose your last words carefully, Telmarine," it says, twirling its whiskers with a miniature sword in its hand, pointed toward my neck.

I try with all my strength to hold in my laughter, but eventually it becomes too heavy a burden to hold. I burst out in a fit of laughter, causing the mouse to look skeptically at me. "May I ask what is so funny?" the mouse says, narrowing his eyes.

"You—you're a mouse!" I say between laughs.

"Not that that's completely obvious or anything," he replies.

His tone scares me a little for a split second before I remember that I'm dealing with a mouse. A mouse, for Heavens' sake! The worst that he could do is give me rabies if he bites me.

"Oh, what in Aslan's name is so humorous? Will you please get on with your final goodbyes to the world? I'm getting impatient!"

It's then that I hear a familiar voice call, "Reepicheep! Stop!"

"Trufflehunter, once again, I trust you have an acceptable reason for your second untimely interruption," Reepicheep says.

"Should I even try?" Nikabrik mutters, shaking his head.

Trufflehunter hears this and rolls his eyes. "She's the boy's cousin."

"And your point is…?" Reepicheep says.

"She's on our side," the badger finishes.

Reepicheep nods his head in understanding. "Ah, I see."

"Let them come forward," a voice says. Then, out from behind the trunks of the large trees around us appear large people with the bodies of horses and the upper bodies of humans. I look at them and back to Trufflehunter, terrified. Caspian, however, looks at them with a growing smile spreading across his face. "This is the reason we have gathered."

00000000

It's been three days since our scuffle with the Telmarine soldiers and Reepicheep. Ever since, we've been setting up camp in various different places at night and continuing our journey to Aslan's How on foot during the day. It hasn't been very long at all, really, but I'm so exhausted that I just want to plop down and die by the end of every day.

A few of the ancient Narnians think that if we continue on in the direction we're going now, we may meet the kings and queens before we reach Aslan's How. It's been almost a week since Caspian blew the horn, and we still haven't found any help, and to be perfectly honest, I don't really think we're going to get any at this rate. But I'm not going to be the one that crushes everyone's hopes. They can just keep on dreaming, even though nothing's every going to happen.

00000000

"Avaline, wake up," someone says into my ear. I roll over onto my side, pulling my blanket over with me.

"Five minutes…" I mumble, all the while keeping my eyes closed.

"No, Avaline. I don't have time for this! Now, wake up!"

I sigh loudly and sit up. I squeeze my eyes shut, blink a few times, and then open them all the way as I sit up straight on the mat I use as a bed. I look around, and see two Minotaurs and a Centaur walking about the campsite, but everyone else is missing.

"Where did everyone-"

"Shhh!" my cousin says as he reaches his hand over my mouth to hush me. "Follow me and go quietly." He removes his hand from my face and I immediately open my mouth to ask the many questions that are now forming in my head. One of which asks all: What in the world is going on here?!

Nonetheless, I walk as quickly and quietly as possible after Caspian, who is trying to hurry but, bless his heart, is being slowed down by the half-awake zombie of a cousin behind him.

After about two minutes of pure torture, Caspian stops and I silently jog over the few feet ahead of me to where he's standing. He pulls me behind the trunk of a large tree next to him. Once I'm concealed, he peaks around the tree to see what's going on. When I tried to, he slapped my arm roughly, causing me to recoil without hesitation. A few minutes later, he puts a finger to his mouth, signaling for me to be quiet, and steps from behind the tree. I take a step out to follow after him, but he shakes his head and mouths, "Stay." I nod in answer and step back.

Within seconds, I hear someone yell, "Ah!" and metal on metal. The realization hits me that my cousin may be in danger. I run out from behind the tree and feel cloth gagging me and hands wrap around my wrists, holding them behind my back. I can't turn around to see who this person is, but I can take a good guess that it's not someone I know.

"Drop your weapons or she's mine," the person behind me says.

I scream in fright, or at least try to, but the cloth tied around my mouth is making it impossible for me to make a single sound. I hear an angry growl from nearby, and I turn my head slightly to see Caspian, with his sword in hand, fighting a young man with blonde hair that I'd never seen before, and Trufflehunter, with a dagger in his hand, though not currently engaged in the fight.

"No, stop!" the voice of a young girl shouts as she emerges from behind a bush. The girl is quite pretty; she has medium brown hair with a reddish tint to it, light blue eyes, freckles sprinkled over here cheeks with a light blush on top of them.

The blonde man fighting Caspian looks at the young girl, who actually slightly resembles him, and then back at Caspian. He suddenly gets this strange look on his face, and squints at my cousin. "Prince Caspian…?"

"Yes? And who are you?" Caspian asks.

"Peter!" another girl, slightly older than the other and maybe a few years older than me, crashes through the trees with a loaded bow in hand, along with a boy that looks like he could be my age, maybe a year older. They both look alike, and slightly resemble the other boy and girl. These two both have pale skin and dark hair, whereas the other pair has peach-ish skin and strawberry blonde. The boy has brown eyes, and the girl has green. They both have freckles sprinkled over their cheeks, although the boy has quite a bit less than the girl. All in all, they're both very attractive.

The blonde boy from earlier looks toward them, then back at Caspian. "High King Peter. I believe you called."

"Well, yes… but I expected that you'd be a bit older," Caspian replies smoothly.

"If you'd like, we can leave and come back in a few years," the blonde boy, whose name must be Peter, says.

"No! No, that's all right. You're just… you're just not exactly what I expected."

"Neither are you."

"A common enemy unites even the oldest of foes. We have anxiously awaited your return, my liege. Our hearts and swords are at your service," Reepicheep pipes up, taking off his hat and bowing to King Peter.

"Awww, he's so cute!" the younger girl coos.

"Who said that?!" the mouse says, twirling his sword around and finally finding the source of the voice.

The girl blushes slightly and looks down. "Sorry."

"Your Majesty, with the greatest respect, I do believe 'courageous,' 'courteous,' or 'chivalrous' might more befit a knight of Narnia."

Caspian chuckles at Reepicheep's battle of bravery before he looks back at King Peter. "And now, your Majesty, could you please tell your dwarf to-"

"Trumpkin!" Trufflehunter scolds, dropping the dagger from his paw and marching over to me. And all the while I'm thinking, 'Doesn't he know my name by now?' But then I realize that he's not talking to me, but the person that is still holding me hostage. "Why are you holding the Princess against her will?"

"The Princess?" Trumpkin, the man behind me, asks.

"Yes, her name is Princess Avaline, and she is the cousin of the Prince over there. Now may I ask you to please release her and her bonds?"

I don't hear an answer, but in a few moments I'm untied and Trumpkin, a dwarf about an inch taller than Nikabrik with a white beard and tired features, apologizes gruffly. I nod my head, a silent gesture telling him that his apology has been accepted, and move over to my cousin.

"May I inquire who this is?" King Peter asks, looking me over.

Caspian nudges me to answer, and I look up at the High King before introducing myself. "I'm Princess Avaline."

"Ah, your sister," the King says, speaking to Caspian.

"No, my cousin, actually. She is the daughter of my uncle, King Miraz," Caspian replies.

"I see. Well, we will have more time to make introductions later on. But for now, we need to discuss numbers and battle. At least I know that some of you can handle a blade."

"Yes, indeed," Reepicheep replies, "And I have recently put it to good use, securing weapons for your army, sire."

"Good. Because we're going to need every sword we can get," the dark-haired boy adds.

"Then I suppose you'll be needing yours back," Caspian says, taking the King's sword out of the tree behind him and handing it back.

This is where the battle begins.

**A/N: Hey, guys! Hoped you liked this chapter! I was tempted to end it before they got to the part where they met the Pevensies, but I just couldn't seem to convince myself that it was the best way to go. I felt like this story is going to slow and that the four kids needed to hurry up and get their fantasy selves into my story! Haha. I wish that I could've prolonged it so that they didn't appear until the next chapter, but I'm not very good at drawing out scenes, so I thought that you folks would be better off without my sorry attempts at details. LOL, but I tried all throughout this chapter, and as a result, you have an extra-long chapter to read! I would say that it probably isn't going to get longer than this, but then again it probably is so I'd be lying if I said that. Anyways, so thanks for reading and please push the review button, like, now! TTYL 3**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: **_**OK, the first thing I want to say is thanks so much to **_**Narnia and Harry Potter 4 EVER****! **_**She has been my top reviewer and she is really cool, so a super shout-out to her!**_

**So to start this off on a good note, I just want to say that I'm in an **_**amazing **_**mood, so just to make you guys feel awesome too, I'll make this an awesome chapter! As you all know if you read last chapter, Caspian and Avaline have met the Pevensies, which means it's only a short time until the story really begins.**

**Disclaimer… do I even have to add this? I think we all know that if I owned Narnia, this story wouldn't be here, it'd be on some fantasy/romance shelf in Books-a-Million. But just in case you can't figure it out, I don't own Narnia. I **_**do**_** own Avaline, though.**

**Onwards!**

-Chapter 4-

The log beneath me is hard and cold, but the bonfire keeps me warm. The kings and queens, Caspian and I, and Trumpkin are sitting around the fire. It's only around seven o'clock, and it's beginning to get cold out. We have finished dinner now, and although it wasn't very filling, nor was it appetizing, at least it was something.

"So, how is it that you came to be here?" King Peter asks me. I glance up from my hands which are crossed in my lap, and look at him.

"Well, Miraz is my father… Doctor Cornelius told me to go with Caspian," I explain. "He said that because we were always so close, I would be one of the first ones they questioned when they began their search for him, and if I didn't know when they asked, I'd be punished severely. So, here I am." I had looked down at my hands again and had begun fiddling with my thumbs, but now I look up to measure everyone's expressions.

Caspian was looking down, most likely ashamed of his uncle's poor character. Trumpkin was playing with a piece of grass that he had picked. The four Pevensies, on the other hand, were staring at me intently. It was the youngest queen, with the pretty strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes, who spoke first.

"Your—your _father_—would do this to you?" she said, shocked.

"I didn't think he would. That is, until Caspian told me everything that the professor had told him about my father. I didn't believe any of it at first. I thought he was lying to me… but after awhile I realized that everything was true, and they were just trying to protect me," I replied.

"I'm so sorry…" Lucy whispered, walking in a half-circle around the fire to where I was sitting. She sat down next to me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders.

"It's okay. I've had six years to get used to the idea that my father didn't want me," I faked a laugh, although it was more for her sake than mine.

She gave a chuckle, and so did the others, but I could tell that they saw through my attempts to enlighten the thirteen-year-old. Just then, Lucy released a big yawn, not even bothering to cover her mouth.

"Lucy!" Susan scolded, "You know it's not proper to yawn without covering your mouth! Did Mrs. Beaver teach you nothing in the early days of our rule over Narnia?"

Peter chuckled lightly, and Susan glared at her until she realized that Lucy was fighting to stay awake. Her eyes were drooping and she had her head leaning down on my shoulder.

"Oh, dear. I'm so sorry, Avaline," Susan apologized, walking around the fire just as Lucy did to stand in front of me. Susan, with Peter's help, gently lifted the sleeping preteen off of me and to the tent that me, Susan, and Lucy were to share until morning. This left me, Caspian, and Edmund alone, sitting in a circle around the bonfire.

"So," Caspian began, scooting over until he was next to me. Edmund came over to sit across from me.

"And three are left," King Edmund said, chuckling lightly. Caspian and I joined in at the Just King's attempt to decrease the awkwardness. The Just King, who had mostly kept quiet during our conversation around the bonfire, was obviously beginning to warm up to us.

The three of us are silent for awhile until I remembered that up until now, Trumpkin had been with us. "Caspian, where did Trumpkin go?" I ask.

"Oh, you mean the DLF? I believe he left with Peter and Susan. He was getting tired, I guess," King Edmund answered for him.

I nodded my head in reply. A big yawn sounded from my left, and I looked over to see Caspian with his mouth wide open and his eyes shut tight, still in the action of yawning. When he opened his eyes again, he saw me watching and said, "I suppose it's time for me to get to bed. I suggest that you two do the same soon, seeing as everyone else is in bed."

Sure enough, when I looked around me, we were the only three people sitting around the campsite. Everyone else was in there tents. There were a few tents with a lantern on inside and occasionally I'd see a figure moving around inside of them, but other than that, we were alone. Caspian left and opened the flap to the two kings' tent, and disappeared inside.

"And that leaves two," King Edmund said, making me laugh. There was a slight pause, and then, "Okay, so I know that my countdown makes you laugh, but other than that I know nothing about you."

"What do you want to know?" I asked him. He had been away planning with Reepicheep and challenging random creatures to sword-fighting matches while I'd been talking to King Peter and the two queens, so he didn't have the chance to get to know me, whereas they knew my entire life story, pretty much.

"I don't know, maybe, since I quite obviously missed so much earlier today, you could tell me your story."

"What do you mean, my king?" I asked.

"You know, the story of your life," he replied.

"Um, okay. Well, I am the daughter of Queen Prunaprismia and King Miraz. My uncle, Caspian the ninth, died unexpectedly in his sleep when I was young. Caspian doesn't really remember his mother, my aunt, but he does remember his father, my uncle. Back at the palace, I had a nurse, Balmia. She cared for me when my parents had duties in the kingdom, and she taught me almost everything I needed to know. I didn't ever have a professor because I was too young. If I had stayed only a year or two longer, I would've been old enough to begin my lessons and to have one."

"What about the night you left?" King Edmund questioned.

"My baby brother, whose name I do not know, was born only two hours before. I had been in the room with my mother at his birth; she had requested my presence as she wanted me to meet my sibling first. I was ten years old, and it was very late, but I was wide awake and not tired at all. My nurse, Balmia, took me with her after I was introduced to my brother to tell my father the news, but when we met him in the hallway he ordered Balmia to take me to bed at once. When we reached my room, she tucked me in tight, and kissed me on the forehead. I asked her for a bedtime story, but she rejected my request, telling me it was too late and I needed to rest. Little did I know, I was about to not get any for a long while.

"I was waked by Doctor Cornelius an hour later. He told me to get up with a very urgent tone, and I didn't fight back, even though I was exhausted from little sleep. He took me down passageways and what seemed like a hundred different flights of stairs until we finally reached the stable. He packed my things on my horse and told me to wait there. When he returned, he wasn't alone; Caspian was alert and standing next to him. He was thirteen years old, but he was very intelligent. I, on the other hand, had to be shushed twenty times to be kept quiet." The king chuckled quietly. "When we were in the shadows in the courtyard by the castle gates, Doctor Cornelius loaded our things onto the horses, and started talking nonsense. He was mostly speaking to Caspian, but he meant for me to listen, too. He told us (or Caspian) that he wished him the best and told him where to go and how to stay safe, as we were going to be alone for quite some time. I was young, so I didn't understand much that was going on, but what I did pick up was that I'd never see my family or Balmia ever again. I was crying my eyes out, and when Doctor Cornelius kissed my hand and patted the horses' side, I knew that it was goodbye."

"How could that have possibly felt?" the king mused quietly.

"It was… terrifying. I had no idea what was going on until I was sitting on the horse with mere seconds to spare before the gates closed and the drawbridge shut. I was so scared, and I couldn't stop crying, and all I kept thinking was that I didn't even know my brother's name, and that I'd never get to see him grow up. And now all I think about when I think about my family is how _they'll _never get to see _me _grow up. My father will never get to meet my first boyfriend, my parents will never get to marry me off, my father will never get to walk me down the aisle, my brother will never have a sister to tackle and play with, my mother will never get to meet her grandchildren, and the worst thing out of all of it is, it's my fault."

"How is this _your _fault?" King Edmund asked incredulously.

"I don't know. There had to have been something that I could've done to prevent this."

"What in the world are you talking about? There was nothing that anyone could be done in the first place, and I doubt that an innocent ten-year-old girl could have helped anything anyway." The Just King looked over at me twice before spotting the tears streaming down my cheeks. "It's okay," he told me.

"No it isn't," I said, my voice dropping to a whisper as I said, "It will never be okay."

"Don't keep telling yourself that. We're here now, and I don't know about the others, but I am one-hundred percent on your side, and there's nothing anyone can do to change that. I'm here for you."

This took me by surprise. No one had said anything comforting to me in six years. "I know. I'm just so hurt, and I—I don't have anyone really that cares enough to keep me safe. I have Caspian, but I honestly think that he's been too busy keeping us alive for the past couple of years to notice when I'm upset."

"I can tell when you're upset," the king answered honestly. He scooted closer to me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders just as Lucy did. "And I do care enough to keep you safe."

"Really?" I ask, looking up at his face. I see nothing but truth in his eyes.

"Of course," he said, "Now I think it's time we got in bed. It's very late, and we have a long day tomorrow."

Of course we had to go to sleep, because it would be much too risky to take a break from walking for just _one day_! Sometimes these people drove me nuts. We were always on the move; we never settled down for a day or two. _No, that'd put everyone in too much danger, _I think sarcastically.

"Come on," King Edmund said, pulling me to my feet and leading me in the way of my tent. When we were just outside the entrance, he stopped and turned around to face me. "I hope that talking to me helped."

"It did," I answered. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being my friend, and not getting up and leaving when I got upset."

"I would never do that!" he says, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"I guess I know that now." I pause and look at the tent. "Goodnight, King Edmund."

He gives me a hint of a smile. "Goodnight, Princess Avaline."

I watch as he walks away and finally disappears behind a clump of bushes, behind which is his, Peter's, and Caspian's tent. Once he is gone, I climb inside my own tent. I carefully step over Lucy's sleeping form and Susan's right beside hers, over to my own sleeping bag which has been set up across from the queens'.

I undo the covers, climb in the bag, and tuck myself in snuggly. When I'm comfortable, I roll onto my side and close my eyes. That night, I dream happy dreams instead of the sad, scary ones that have plagued me every night for six years. It seems that I've finally found what I've needed all my life. True friends.

**A/N: I love the ending to that chapter! It's so… I don't know… sweet! Yeah, sweet's a good word! xD I hope you all liked that chapter as much as I did, because there will be more Avaline/Edmund moments coming up reeeeaalll soon. Only I'm hoping to get into some more, I don't know, **_**dreamy **_**scenes soon. I wouldn't have put 'dreamy' there, except Microsoft Word's thesaurus told me that it's a synonym to 'romantic', and I didn't really think that that fit the next couple of chapters. We're not to that point **_**just **_**yet, but trust me, it's coming soon!**

**I can hardly wait, can you?! Oooh, ooh, I know! How about you tell me in the reviews! And also, I'd like some input on how long you'd like the whole 'friendship' thing to go on, because I don't want to keep that going for too long, but I don't want to rush it… tell me what you think!**

**Have a great weekend and… REVIEW!**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi, again! I'm back with the next awesome chapter of **_**Just the Justice. **_**Okay, so I just want to let you know the traffic stats on the story as of 3:03PM on Saturday, February 02, 2013. Ok so here they are:**

**I have 370 views, and the greatest number of views on one chapter I have is 166 views on the Prologue. I have 5 chapters (counting the prologue, not counting the one I'm writing now) posted. I have had 4 reviews, 2 favorites, and 6 alerts. Now, **_**at least**_** six people besides **_**Narnia and Harry Potter 4 EVER**_** (my story's #1 fan) need to be reviewing. That means that as soon as you finish reading this chapter, you had better start reviewing like a mad man. I **_**mean **_**it. I sound extremely evil when I say that… so anyways. The point is I want reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia, only Avaline.**

-Chapter 5-

I woke up to the sound of birds chirping happily around me. I opened my eyes and look around. _Where am I? _I think. But then I remembered. _Why hasn't anyone waken me up? We were supposed to get ready for the journey at dawn._

Sitting up straight in my sleeping bag, I yawned and stretched my arms out over my head, raising my shoulders and arching my back with it. I looked around for my "roommates" only to find that they are nowhere to be found in the small tent.

I got on all fours and crawled over our three sleeping bags to the flap that leads outside the tent. By peeking out, I can see animals and a few people sitting around on the logs that I, Caspian, and the four Pevensies sat on last night, only now there is no fire. The logs are in a circular formation so they're all facing each other, just as last night.

I stuck my head back inside the tent and dig around inside my bag. I've had this bag since we escaped from the palace so long ago, and it still contains everything I packed that night: extra clothing, underwear, a hairbrush, toiletries, a dagger, and a blanket. I pulled out my hairbrush and dragged it through my hair a couple of times before putting it away again and taking three pairs of clothes from my bag. I examine each of the three dresses. For the past six years, I've been wearing a nice, white tunic under a leather corset with dark brown trousers every day, and since I wasn't really trying to impress anybody, that was okay. But now I'm surrounded by four kings and queens that probably think I'm rather improper wearing such unladylike attire.

The first dress I'm holding is, like all of my dresses, pretty and floor-length. This one, though, is a dark green with tight, long sleeves that puff slightly at my shoulders, and is complete with gold stitching at the bottom, where the dark green splits and shows an emerald green underneath, and at the top.

The second dress has a red corset, red overskirt, and red sleeves, with white fabric showing underneath the corset, a white underskirt visible between the wide slit down the middle of the skirt, and red under sleeves, noticeable when I pull the red ones up.

The third is a dark brown, long-sleeved dress with gold stitching on it, also. It's a lot like the green one, only this one's skirt slits to reveal the same metallic gold as the stitching.

After about five minutes of going over the pros and cons of each dress in my head, I decide upon the red. Before stepping outside the tent, I slip on the matching dark red ballet flats the dress, bump my hair and pin the bumped section back with some hair pins, apply some cherry lip dye, and walk outside. I realize that everyone is eating breakfast, and that they've started without me.

"Good morning, Princess Avaline," King Peter greeted me as he stood and bowed graciously. I curtsied in return and moved to sit beside Susan and Lucy, who were seated directly across from their oldest brother. Their younger brother, however, was nowhere to be found, along with my cousin.

"Where are Caspian and King Edmund?" I asked Susan, looking around and trying to spot them.

"According to Peter, they're still sleeping," she replied, rolling her eyes. "They're so lazy."

"Yes, that I agree with, Queen Susan," I agree.

"Princess Avaline, may I request you not call me by my title but by my name?" the Gentle Queen requested, looking toward me seriously.

"Yes, of course… Susan," I said, a smile spreading across my face. "But you and the rest of your siblings have to agree to call me Avaline. Just Avaline; no titles."

"Of course," Susan said, and the youngest queen, sitting to Susan's left, nodded in agreement.

The three of us girls laughed at our crazy agreement before I walked away from the friendly circle of 'campers' to get my breakfast. I picked up a piece of lightly buttered toast and a blueberry muffin before sitting back down next to the queens.

"So how did you sleep last night?" Lucy asked.

"Very good," I answered. "And you?"

"Oh, very well, thank you."

I took a bite from my muffin. "These are good," I commented lightly. A few moments later, I saw, from the corner of my eye, a man's figure sit on the empty log to my right.

"Good morning," he said. I looked over to find Edmund sitting next to me, eating a muffin also.

"Good morning," I replied happily.

He glanced at me, took a bite of his muffin, and looked me over again. "You look pretty this morning."

I blushed slightly as I always do when someone tells me I look pretty. "Thank you." There was a light breeze, and just then it blew, making my brown curls sway in the wind. The Just King took a strand and twirled it.

"Your hair reminds me of a dark-colored chocolate lab's fur. It's not dark brown, but it's darker than a medium brown. It's very pretty."

"Thank you again," I say, blushing yet another time. For some reason, a person complimenting me and my looks always makes my cheeks red.

"Oh, yes, her hair is very pretty, isn't it?" Lucy said.

If they don't stop complimenting me, I might just explode. I usually enjoy the occasional compliment, but I haven't gotten one in years and having so many now is overwhelming me! After awhile, even the kindest of compliments become mere insults.

"Well, I think your hair is much prettier," I said, then turned to face Susan. "And your dress is absolutely gorgeous!" I look over the Gentle Queen's gown. It is a light, cool-colored purple with silver stitching. At one point, the already-light purple overskirt splits down the front to make the even lighter purple fabric underneath visible. It's very pretty, and to top it off, she has her gold tiara atop her head and a half up, half down hairstyle. She looks quite attractive, as does her younger sister.

"Why, thank you," Susan said.

"Of course, whatever you think, Avaline," Lucy looked down at her feet, obviously jealous over something. I genuinely hoped and prayed that she wasn't jealous of _me_, because honestly, there was no need. I had had a horrible childhood, and just because I may have pretty hair or my mother used to have pretty dresses made for me, that doesn't mean that my life is perfect and it most _definitely _doesn't mean that _I _am.

For the rest of breakfast, we all make polite small talk to each other. At least, that is until Edmund decides he's tired of it. "What are you all being so formal about? Let's have some fun!"

Just then, the youngest king stands up, grabs my hand, and pulls me to my feet. I gasp, not expecting to be yanked off the log so quickly; he obviously has some very strong muscles in his arms to be able to pull me up so fast, and some strong muscles in his legs to keep himself standing while pulling.

"Um, may I ask what you are doing?" I ask, accidentally using my princess-tone with him. I don't use it very often, but when I do, it's usually when I'm not thrilled with an idea, have caught someone doing something they're not supposed to, or am not very enthusiastic about a surprise. In this case, it's the first and the latter.

"I _believe _we're going to take a walk in the woods," he answers, giving me a sly smile.

"And why would that be, my king?"

"I just do not think that I can take one more second of listening to such formal chat about the weather. It bores me to death!"

"If you say so," I reply, following him as he, with my right hand still in his left, leads me across the campsite. We begin walking slower as we get farther away from the tents, and soon we are following what appears to be an old trail. The gravel has worn away over the years, making it hard to tell where you're going at times, but other than that nothing has grown up over it much and it is still usable.

We walk in silence, taking in the beautiful nature scene around us. The green forest is alive with wildlife, but strangely, no birds are chirping. _It's still early; maybe they're sleeping, _I think.

"What is your favorite food?" Edmund asked, looking at me.

"Uh, Turkish Delight," I replied, keeping my eyes on the trail. From my peripheral vision, I saw him cringe slightly, but when I looked up at him, he seemed to have composed himself. I let it go, thinking that maybe I was imagining things.

"What's your favorite color?"

"I don't know; it changes often. When I was younger, I used to love pink. But not hot pink or light pink… more like a warm pink. The color of a baby's blanket when you set it near the fire," I said, carefully describing my favorite color to the king.

"What does that look like?" the Just King asked.

"Oh, you can't honestly tell me that your mother didn't used to wrap Lucy in a pink blanket when she was a newborn and sit near the fireplace with her. _Every _mother does that!"

"Mine didn't," he replied plainly, looking down at the ground. "If you remember, we haven't always lived in Narnia."

"Oh, they didn't do that back in Spare-Oom?"

"Spare-Oom? Isn't that the name that Tumnus gave the professor's house?" Edmund chuckled.

"I don't know… I read it in a history book that Caspian lent me," I mutter, flushing. It is quiet until he breaks the silence again.

"What makes you laugh?"

"You," I replied without thinking, and immediately regret it. _Where did that _come _from?!_

"Me?" he raises an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I—I don't know. You just—I don't know." And again we walk in silence.

"Can I ask you one last question before we go back to the others?" he asks. I look up from the trail and realize that we are, if someone isn't looking specifically for us, concealed carefully by the woods, but have nevertheless reached the campsite once again. Looking at the Just King's face, and slowly reaching his eyes, I ask, "What?"

He turns so he's facing me instead of standing beside me, and slowly raises his hand to me. He stays silent, and this gives me time to take in the person that is invading my personal bubble. I look to his lips: pink and pressed together in a line. His hair: dark and messy; he apparently didn't even bother to comb through it this morning. And lastly, his eyes… what happens then stuns me, and I still to this day don't know exactly what happened or what _made _it happen. His eyes, his deep, dark, piercing eyes that can practically stare into your soul, were looking into my eyes with such intensity… and I couldn't help what occurred then. Suddenly, without any warning, I felt my heart skip a beat. It happened so quickly that I wasn't even sure it happened, but I could tell by the way that I felt when I looked at him afterward that it did.

"What do you look for in a guy?"

His question caught me off guard, and, though he had his hands placed firmly on my shoulders, I took two tiny steps back from him and fell onto the ground. Having tripped on a rock and then falling on top of it, my tailbone now felt bruised.

"Oh my goodness! Are you okay?" he exclaimed, dropping to his knees to help me.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Do you think you can walk the rest of the way back to your tent? If not, I could go run and get Peter or Caspian… or I could always just carry you."

"No! No, no, no, no! That _won't _be necessary," I reassured him, getting to my feet and walking the rest of the way down the trail and into the clearing where our tents were set up through the excruciating pain in my lower back. I must've bruised it pretty bad.

Edmund, looking unsure for the entire short walk back, placed a hand on my shoulder and guided me along until we found the three royals and Caspian. "She hurt herself when she tripped on a rock," he explained.

00000000

I lay, tossing and turning in my sleeping bag. It was late, and I had been up for quite awhile now, trying to get to sleep. I had been thirsty for the past hour, or at least that's how long it felt like I'd been lying here with a dry mouth.

Finally gathering up my courage, I slowly sat up, got down on my hands and knees, and slipped out of the tent and over to the bucket of water next to Caspian's tent.

"Hello," a familiar voice said from behind me. I turned around to see my eighteen-year-old cousin.

"Hi. What are you still doing up?" I ask him.

"I think I could ask you the same thing."

I sigh, and hesitate slightly before answering. "Caspian, I know you just want to protect me, but I need you to understand how I feel before you jump to conclusions."

"What do you mean?"

"I think I may have a crush on Edmund."

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	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey, you guys! I'm not going to keep you waiting for long, other than to let you know that I am sooooo glad you all have been reviewing! Just as a reward to those who have and incentive for those who haven't, starting with this chapter, I am going to post the names of all of the people that have reviewed my story. So far, these people have reviewed:**

**Hella Monetza, RedHillsTop, Narnia and Harry Potter 4 EVER (the story's biggest fan!), Daisy 54154, Cherry, Guest (I don't know your name since you're a guest, sorry!)**

**If you'd like to see your name up here, REVIEW! Ok, so let's get on with the story. Here's Chapter 6!**

-Chapter 6-

I saw the look on Caspian's face, and I didn't like it. Not one bit. His face turned several different colors in half-second intervals, and after awhile I actually began to get a bit concerned for his health. However, he eventually recovered, leaving me with an angry cousin to tend to.

Caspian fumbled around in his brain for words, and I again began to get concerned. _I'll bring him a dictionary if he wants one… _I think. But I doubt a dictionary is what he wanted. Finally, after only a few long minutes' wait, he speaks.

"Avaline, I-" he began.

"Caspian, I'm so sorry! If I had been able to stop it, I would have, but I couldn't," I explained, trying to make him understand. Ashamed, I look down at my feet.

"Avaline, why are you apologizing to me?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you _sorry_? Liking someone of the opposite gender shouldn't entitle you to give an apology," he told me calmly.

"But Caspian, you were always so protective of me, and back only a few years ago you were telling me never to fall in love, and it will lead to nothing but trouble."

_"Caspian," I called, looking over to him. He was leaning against the wall outside the ruins of Cair Paravel, his arms hugging his knees. It was dark out, and it was late. We had had our supper, and were just having our reflection time as we do every night. Basically, it's just a time to allow our food to digest before we say our prayers and go to sleep._

_ "Hmm?" he murmured, glancing at me. I sat up from my slouching position, sitting Indian-style across from him so we could easily make eye contact, therefore ensuring a decent conversation._

_ "What does it feel like to fall in love?" I asked._

_ My question apparently took my cousin off guard, for he stuttered his answer slightly. "A-Avaline, what kind of a q-question is that?"_

_ "I don't know. I have just always wondered about the feeling of such strong emotions for another being," I answered truthfully, though there was more to my question than that. Recently I had been pondering the term 'love'. I was thirteen years old, and it had been three years since we escaped my father, but yet I still remembered all the gossip and talk the maids would spread back at the castle. I remembered one time in particular; when the maids had been talking about Balmia. She had just met the man that she would later marry, Lord Jeffrey. The maids had been whispering in the halls about how they had talked to her, and laughed at her ridiculous speech of 'that thing called love'. Ever since that day, I had wondered what that 'thing called love' was, so when I asked my cousin what it meant, I was being serious._

_ "Well, it feels like… like the world only revolves around that person. You'd do anything to make the person that you love happy," Caspian told me. "Anything they wanted, you'd give it to them, and you wouldn't even hesitate to risk your life to save theirs."_

_ "Is it really that strong?" I asked. He nodded in answer. "You act like you've felt it before."_

_ "No, I haven't. Lord Jeffrey once told me how it felt when he came to the palace to visit Balmia," he said. "Please, promise me you'll never fall in love."_

_ "Why?"_

_ "Trust me, it will lead to nothing but trouble. You will end up with a broken heart and crushed spirits, or at least that is what nurse told me."_

_ "Oh," I replied, and that's the last I heard about love for a long time._

"Avaline," Caspian said, snapping me back to the present. "That was three years ago. You weren't mature enough to handle love back then, and besides, even if you could, who were you going to fall in love with when we were alone in the middle of nowhere?"

"I don't know. Does this mean you're not mad at me?" I asked.

"Of course not! As a matter of fact, I hope that it will work out between the two of you." A smile began to spread across my lips at his last words. "But I _will _get mad pretty quickly if we don't get in bed. We have a long day of travel tomorrow, since we didn't go anywhere today, and if you want to have any energy for that then you need to sleep."

"Yes, _Prince _Caspian," I said, mocking him.

"Is that a joke?" he asked, grinning.

"Yes, your _Majesty_."

"I think I'll let it slide just this once. Now go get some sleep, you," he teased, poking my side playfully and making his way back to his tent. I did the same, and in a few minutes I was sound asleep.

00000000

"Good morning, sleeping beauty!"

"Ah!" I screamed, jolting upright into a sitting position and searching frantically for the trickster that woke me. Then I found him. "Edmund!" I complained, grabbing my pillow and whacking him with it a few times.

"What? Unhappy with my waking methods? Don't worry, so are the others," the king said, smiling evilly.

"Ugh! Did you _have _to wake me up? Can't I just have five more minutes?"

"Yes I did, and no you can't. And if you don't get up now, I'll have to make you."

"And how exactly do you plan on doing that, may I ask?"

"You _really _don't want to go there," he said. I lay back down in the bag, and he raised an eyebrow, but I simply smirked at him just to show him that he can't make me do anything. "You asked for it." He shrugged and picked me up. Edmund threw me over his shoulder and ducked out of the tent, only to continue carrying me over to the others.

The two queens and Caspian were laughing uncontrollably at my predicament while the oldest king fought off a smile. When we reached them, Edmund set me down.

"What, you didn't even let her change?" Susan asked, looking me over. I realized I was still in my nightgown.

"I, uh, I'll be back!" I called over my shoulder as I ran back to the tent. I searched through the bag until I found the green dress with the gold stitching and a pair of metallic gold flats. I quickly undressed and changed into the new clothing, brushed my hair, braided it in a crown around my head, and washed my face. As a finishing touch, I used some candy pink lip dye before heading outdoors.

"As usual, someone is looking beautiful!" Susan announced, smiling at me. Lucy nodded her head up and down in agreement before adding a comment of her own.

"Where in Aslan's name do you get your dresses made?" the youngest queen asked.

"Um, I don't know. My mother had them made for me years ago," I answered.

"And they still fit?!" Susan asked incredulously, her eyes wide.

"My mother bought me lots of dresses in different sizes so that I would be able to wear them as I grew older. I grew out of some of the ones I brought with me, and I have a few that are a little too big with me, but this one fits just right," I explained. I had brought with me from the palace three dresses in different sizes so that I wouldn't ever be dress-less.

"Well, whoever made them is a very talented dressmaker, and he or she certainly knows what colors flatter you," Lucy commented.

"Thank you," I said graciously.

Susan and Lucy discussed dresses with me for a few minutes before the High King interrupted. "Well, if you girls are done being girly, I think it's time we get a move on."

"Yes, I think that is a very good idea," Caspian said in a very kingly fashion. Edmund nodded in agreement, and then Caspian said, "Then it's settled. Gather up the others please, Avaline, and tell them it is time to go."

00000000

Finally, everything is gathered and packed, and everyone is crowded around the six of us; me, Caspian, Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy.

"I believe, unless anyone has any last minute things to do here, that it is time to depart from this location and move toward Aslan's How," Peter announced in a loud voice to the people gathered around. No one spoke up, therefore we left with a good idea of the direction we were going and strong faith of winning this nonexistent battle.

00000000

"So, were you courting someone back home?" I asked, grinning.

"No," the Just King answered, playfully poking me in the side in slight embarrassment. "And we don't call it 'courting' there. We call it 'dating.' Have you ever courted anyone?"

"No," I admitted, blushing. _But I sure do you know who I want to. _I think. The idea was ridiculous, really, but I just couldn't help fantasizing _sometimes _about Edmund. He was just so darn fantasize-able!

"What are you two jokesters talking about now?" Peter asked, sneaking up on us.

"Oh, nothing much," Edmund said, turning his head to the right to wink at me.

_What does _that _mean?! _I wondered. _Does he like me back?_ Hey, a girl can dream, right?!

"Alright, well you both need to keep moving and don't be getting into _too _much trouble," the High King replied, walking a few steps ahead of us and returning to Caspian. They were probably talking about battle plans and fancy swords, while me and Edmund were behind everyone in the group, chatting about our lives and learning more about each other. It was quite fun, actually. At first, I had been in front behind Peter and Caspian, talking with Susan and Lucy, but when they began talking about their world, something that I know nothing about, I decided to find Edmund. I knew he wouldn't talk about anything that made me uncomfortable or unsure.

"We're here!" a voice shouted from the very front of the line. We were all walking in a line, the minotaurs and centaurs in the front, the other creatures in the middle, and the six of us royals bringing up the rear.

"Really?" Lucy exclaimed, dodging through various different Narnian animals and creatures until she reached the centaur at the very front of the line, Glenstorm. "We're here?!"

"Yes," I vaguely heard him reply. "Don't you see?" he asked, pointing out something ahead of him.

Lucy said something that I couldn't make out, and then we all walked into a large clearing, and though I didn't know her exact words, I had a pretty good idea. "Wow," I whispered.

Directly in front of all of us was a beautiful building made of brown stone. It looked very old; it had a few patches of grass growing between the cracks of the stone walkway, along with a tree growing on a large slab of rock on the second story.

"Wow is an understatement," Edmund said beside me. I looked over to see him staring at the building with a look that showed much greater understanding than I've probably ever had in my whole life. He looked at the stone structure as if he had seen it before, in a past life. "Susan," he called.

"Yes?" Susan asked, turning around and walking toward us.

"Is that-"

"Yes," she answered again, only this time it wasn't a question. "That's it."

Now I don't know about you, but at that point I was feeling extremely confused. "What is it?" I asked.

"The stone table," Edmund said. He stared at it for a second more, and as if in a daze, he grabbed my hand and we slowly jogged over to Peter, Caspian, and Lucy, now at the head of the line. "Hey," he greeted them.

"I think it is safe to go in," Caspian said, walking forward and leading the group forward. The rest of us followed slowly. When we got closer, I saw around twelve centaurs standing on each side of the stone pathway leading up to the entranceway of the building. Caspian turned around and motioned for me to walk next to him, so I scooped up handfuls of my skirt so I wouldn't trip and ran to him. "Walk with me," he told me quietly, and I nodded in answer.

When we reached a large archway a couple of yards in front of the entrance, everyone suddenly slowed their pace. I noticed that everyone had stopped before the arch to allow us, the six royals, to go first. When we slowed our pace, we allowed ourselves to take everything in, from the centaurs waiting for our entry, to the stone pillars of the structure made of the same stuff, everything about this old place was charming, yet magnificent.

Caspian looked over his shoulder to Peter. "Go ahead," the High King whispered to him. So my cousin turned back around, looked at me, positioned at his right, and began to walk. I matched his pace perfectly, and we gracefully made our way down the inclined path to the building, nodding greetings to the centaurs and both of us feeling somewhat like royalty again. The four kings and queens of old followed, and once we were inside, Caspian led the five of us through a few different passageways in the underground fortress until we reached a wall with ancient art painted on it.

Susan, standing next to Caspian and I, gasped quietly. "Peter, you may want to see this."

Peter, flanked by Edmund with Lucy following close behind, appeared next to us. He stared silently at the artwork, and Edmund stood next to him with his eyebrows furrowed, as if trying to figure some hard algebra problem.

"It's us," Lucy whispered.

_What? _I wondered, and that's when all of the missing pieces fell into place.

There's more to this story than they're letting me in on.

**A/N: How did you guys like it? REVIEW REVIEW!**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, you guys! It means a lot, really. As a personal thank-you to my reviewers:**

**Allie Danger, Hella Monetza, RedHillsTop, Narnia and Harry Potter 4 EVER, Daisy 54154, Cherry, Guest**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Narnia.**

-Chapter 7-

As I stand watching the four rulers, wondering what in Narnia is going on, it hits me. They've been hiding something from me. A _big _something.

"What is this place?" Peter asked, looking around him in confusion.

"You don't know?" Caspian looked at the High King with a strange expression on his face. After a few seconds, he glanced toward the rest of us. "Follow me."

We followed my cousin through a dark passageway, where he grabbed a lit torch from the wall and motioned for us to continue. He took a few steps farther before he stopped. Holding the torch out in front of him with Peter doing the same with his, we could now clearly see where we now were.

"Impossible," Lucy whispered.

There was a moment's silence, but it wasn't awkward at all. The six of us stood, Caspian off to the side while me and the four siblings stood, staring in disbelief ahead of us.

"It's the stone table," Susan gasped. And indeed, it was. And directly behind the cracked surface on the stone wall was a magnificent carving of the Great Lion himself, who had died on this same table so many years ago.

"I think it's up to us now," Peter announced, gazing at the rest of us one by one. "It's only a matter of time. Miraz's men and war machines are on their way. That means those same men aren't protecting his castle."

"What do you propose we do, your Majesty?" Caspian asked.

"Our only hope is to strike them before they strike us," the king answered, and it obviously wasn't a suggestion.

"Are you crazy?" I exclaimed incredulously to the blonde king. "No one has _ever _taken that castle!"

"There's always a first time. And we'll have the element of surprise."

"But we have the advantage here!" Caspian said.

"Well, I for one feel safer underground," Reepicheep, who had gone unnoticed by me but had been present for the entire conversation, replied.

"Look, I appreciate what you've done here, but this isn't a fortress. It's a tomb!" Peter clarified.

"Yes, and if they're smart, the Telmarines will wait and starve us out," the mouse responded calmly.

"We could collect nuts!" a small brown squirrel named Pattertwig suggested.

"Yes, and throw them at the Telmarines!" Reepicheep agreed sarcastically. "Shut up!" There was a pause and then he added, "I think you know where I stand, sire."

"If I get your troops in, can you handle the guards?" Peter asked.

"Or die trying, my liege."

Lucy, who had been out of the conversation along with me, Edmund, and Susan, spoke up. "That's what I'm worried about."

"I'm sorry?" her older brother said, not having understood her.

"You're all acting like there's only two options. Dying here, or dying there. But I'm not sure you've all been listening."

"No, you're not listening."

"Or have you forgotten who _really _defeated the White Witch, Peter?" the Valiant Queen raised an eyebrow at her brother. Out of the corner of my left eye, I saw Edmund flinch back.

"I think we've waited for Aslan long enough."

I cleared my throat. "Okay, I don't know what's going on, but I think it's time I got some answers." The four monarchs exchanged glances with each other before explaining everything.

00000000

"Okay, so are we all clear on the plan?" Peter asked. We all nodded, but I suppose he felt the need to explain one last time anyway. "Caspian, you need to open the gates. Susan, you stick with me. Edmund, flash your electric torch so the army knows when to come in. Avaline, you need to stick with Edmund."

"Okay," we all said simultaneously, followed by a small cough.

"Reepicheep, I thought you knew what to do," Peter said.

"I do."

"Then what was that?"

"Oh, the cough? I just wanted to feel important," the uppity mouse replied honestly, twirling his whiskers.

Peter sighed. "Okay, so we're all clear?" Everyone nodded. "Alright. Let's go."

I said goodbye to Susan, Peter, and Caspian, and shook hands with Trumpkin, and shook Reepicheep's paw gently before Edmund and I headed out.

"So where exactly are we going?" I asked Edmund while we walked to God-knows-where.

"Um, to the west tower of the castle. You don't happen to know where that is, do you?"

"Yeah, follow me."

We climbed silently up various staircases and tiptoed around numerous guards. There was one instance when I was almost positive that if we continued walking, we'd wake the orange cat that was asleep in the corner of one room, but we managed to get away as its tail twitched. When we reached the corridor that used to lead to my bedroom, I couldn't resist. "Edmund," I whispered. Go down that hallway, walk up the staircase and at the very top there will be a door. Open it and you'll be at the tower we're supposed to be at."

"Wait," he said, "Aren't you coming with me?"

I shook my head. "No. I have to do something, but you need to go."

"Can't I come with you?" he asked, taking a step closer. There was only a tiny space between us that could easily be closed if needed. His smoldering eyes looked deep into mine.

"No, I'm sorry," I breathed, trying to remember how to inhale and exhale correctly.

"Okay. But what if something happens to you?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly, because if I was being truthful, any of us could be shot down and killed in an instant with how good of an army my father had.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye," he said, and before I knew what was going on, his lips were on mine. I closed my eyes and let the feeling last for as long as I could before he pulled back. "Be safe," he whispered. He stroked his thumb across my cheek once and disappeared.

"You too," I said quietly, even though I knew he couldn't hear. I turned around and headed down the dark, torch-lit hallway to my old bedroom. The door was closed. Why, I didn't know, but I had to go in there. _Would you rather risk your life, or have a fresh change of clothes back at camp? _I asked. _Having a new clothes means impressing Edmund, going inside my bedroom means possibly losing my life to my own people. _I reasoned. But, deciding against the latter, I slowly moved my hand to the knob. The door quietly creaked open, and then I stepped through.

"Dresses, dresses," I muttered, searching through the dresser drawers for the topic of my hunt. Then, I found them. I picked through the multiple stacks of hundreds of dresses until I found some in my current size and larger. I picked eight nice ones, replaced the discarded ones where they were previously, and stuffed them in my over-the-shoulder purse.

Then it was time to move on out. When I had ascended the dark, stone staircase and opened the door at the top, I whispered, "Edmund."

"Over here," was his barely-audible response, and I followed the voice until I found its owner, testing out his electric torch for the moment when he had to use it.

"When do you signal them?" I asked.

"When Peter tells me, which should be any time now."

A loud bang was heard just then, and I gasped, turning around to face the tower door. "Oh no."

"What?" Edmund asked, and when I didn't answer, he grabbed my shoulders and spun me around to face him. "Avaline, answer me right now. What was that?"

"Daddy…" I whispered, yanking open the door and dashing down the steps as quickly as I could.

"Wait up, Avaline!" Edmund called.

"No, stay where you are. We'll need the signal soon!" I said as I continued descending. I finally reached the glass doors where my parents' room was. I stopped to listen outside the bedroom door before I burst in, the door slamming open. I gripped my bow just a bit tighter in my hands, positioning an arrow on the string.

"Oh, Avaline, my daughter," my father said quietly. "Thank goodness you're safe."

"Get up," a man said.

"Caspian?" said my mother. She turned her body slightly, realizing I was there. "Avaline!"

"Stay where you are," the man said, and I turned to realize it was Caspian.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I should think it's obvious, dear," my father, King Miraz, answered. "You know, some families might consider this inappropriate behavior.

"That doesn't seem to have stopped you." Caspian now pointed a sword at his uncle.

"But you are not like me, are you? The first time you've shown any backbone… and it's such a waste."

"Put the sword down, Caspian," my mother, Queen Prunaprismia, said calmly. She held a crossbow tightly in her hands, pointing it at Caspian. "I don't want to do this."

"We don't want you to either!" a familiar voice announced as she walked into the room. I twirled around on my feet to see Susan.

"You know, this used to be a private room," my father added in a menacing tone.

There was a pause, and I noticed that Peter had entered with Susan. Then he turned and faced Caspian. "What are you doing? You're supposed to be at the gatehouse!"

"No!" my cousin yelled. "Tonight, for once, I want the truth." He moved to my father and pressed a sword to his throat. "Did you kill my father?"

"Now we get to it."

"Miraz," my mother said with a shocked expression. "You said your brother died in his sleep."

"That was more or less true," he replied, not taking his eyes off his nephew.

"Daddy?" I said, stepping forward toward him. "You—you said that you had nothing to do with Uncle's death."

"Oh, sweet Avaline, you must understand that in order for you to have the title you have now, he had to have died. It just wasn't going to work out if he didn't."

"So you're indirectly telling me that you murdered my uncle?"

"I suppose, if you put it that way…"

"Daddy, you killed someone. You _murdered _Uncle!" I said in shock.

"Darling-"

"No! Leave me alone!" I yelled.

"We Telmarines would have nothing if we hadn't taken it. Your father knew that better than anyone," he said, speaking to Caspian now.

"How could you?" my mother gasped.

"For the same reason you will pull that trigger. For our son!"

"What about me? I apparently don't matter enough to you for you to do anything for _me_!" I shouted.

"Avaline!" the queen said, dropping the crossbow and holding her arms out to me.

"No," I shook my head. "I don't trust you. I don't trust any of you!"

"Come to me, darling, I'm not going to hurt you."

"NO! Leave me ALONE!" I yelled. My father picked up the crossbow that my mother had held seconds before and aimed it directly at me.

"Don't make me have to do this, Avaline. I will." And that's when I gave the most pain-filled, blood-curdling scream my throat could manage. It was the loudest scream I've ever heard, and it was probably even louder to the others.

"Stay right there," my mother said.

"You need to make a choice, dear," my father said to her. "Do you want our child to be king? Or do you want him to be like Caspian here. Fatherless!"

"No!" she shrieked.

"Caspian, out!" Susan shouted, and then turned to me. "Get out! We don't have time. Hurry!"

We ran down the less-used hallways and through corridors, but even then I could tell that there was trouble coming soon. We had gone halfway down the hallway that led to the west tower when I remembered. "Wait, Edmund!" I shouted to the others, who had already gotten about ten feet farther ahead than I, who had stopped.

"No, Avaline!" Caspian said. "We don't have time. He'll be okay."

"No he won't," I said, and then I hear the running footsteps behind us. "They're after us," I whispered.

"Make a decision now," Peter said. "Go after Edmund and risk all of our lives, or come with us, stick with the plan, and ensure that we all get out of here safely."

"Don't make this into something about you, Avaline," my cousin said. "Let's go."

The footsteps sounded even louder against the white tiled floor, and I knew that it was now or never. I peeked one last glance in the direction of the staircase that I knew Edmund was just at the top of, and turned. "Come on."

And so we ran, down staircases, slamming open doors, dashing down corridors, fighting off soldiers, until we reached the courtyard outside. "Now, Ed, now!" Peter yelled, looking up at the tallest tower to the west side of the castle, who was looking back down at his older brother. "Signal the troops!"

"I'm a bit busy, Pete!" he shouted back to him, and I realized that he was in trouble.

"Peter, he needs help!" I said.

"No, Avaline, _we _need help. Stay right here and shoot as many Telmarine soldiers as you can. Make _sure _they're at least unconscious before you continue. We have to win this."

I nodded my head and turned to see one soldier nearing me with a loaded crossbow aimed at me. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," I said, smirking as the soldier, one I knew quite well from my days of living here, recognized me.

"Princess," he said, bowing to me. "Excuse me. I'm so glad you have been found."

"Not for long," I replied, releasing the arrow from my bowstring and shooting him straight through the heart.

"Peter, it's too late! We have to call it off while we still can," Susan called to her brother, and I notice she has come to such horrible terms that she has given up on using her bow and is now tossing arrows frantically to the soldiers coming in torrents to attack her.

"No, I can still do this. Help me!" he shouted back. Him, Caspian, and Susan ran to the wheel that, if turned enough, can open the castle gates. But there were three of them instead of the bunches of men it took here to open it usually, and they were being slowed down greatly by their exhaustion and lack of energy.

"Exactly who are you doing this for, Peter?" Susan asked.

Once the gates were open, he decided to reply. "For Narnia!" and he charged straight forward with his sword raised before engaging in a fight with a fellow soldier.

And that's when the battle began.

**A/N: REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: OMG, I love you guys sooooo much! I have 18 reviews, which may not seem like a lot to some people, but it's the most I've ever gotten on one of my stories. Not only that, but I have 1,069 hits! WOW! I am in an excellent mood now, and that means that you might, just **_**might **_**get some good action and/or romance in this chapter. I've updated at least three times this week… this story is addicting and I'm the one writing it; no wonder everyone's begging me to update! Lol, I love you guys. These people get a big hug from me (an air hug, I'm not gonna go to your house and hug you, that'd be creepy!):**

**Hella Monetza, Narnia and Harry Potter 4 EVER, Cherry, Allie Danger, Daisy 54154**

**Thanks for reviewing, guys!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Narnia.**

-Chapter 8-

The five of us walk up the path to Aslan's How, Lucy dashing forward to meet us. When she sees Trumpkin being set down on the ground, unconscious, she runs faster. The Valiant Queen takes her healing cordial from her belt, unscrews the cork, and holds it to the dwarf's mouth. A single drop of the red magical liquid goes in his mouth, and a moment later the dwarf is conscious.

"What happened?" Lucy asked, a worried expression on her face.

"Ask him," Peter said, motioning toward Caspian. Susan and I were directly behind the two oldest men in the group, and Edmund was behind us.

"Peter," Susan warned with a tone in her voice that reminded me of my mother's before she began counting to ten.

"Me?" Caspian asked. "You could've called it off. There was still time."

"No, there wasn't, thanks to you. If you had just stuck to the plan, those soldiers might still be alive."

"If you had stayed like I had suggested, they definitely would be!"

"You called us, remember?" said Peter.

"My first mistake," Caspian said through his teeth. I had never seen such a menacing look on his usually calm face.

"Caspian…" I said cautiously. I didn't want to think what would happen if he got any more sarcastic.

"No, your first mistake was thinking you could lead these people," the High King replied. I glanced to my right to see Susan glaring at her brother, obviously not happy at where their 'conversation' was going.

"I am not the one who abandoned Narnia," my cousin said.

"You invaded Narnia. You have no more right to lead it than Miraz does. You, him, Avaline, your father... Narnia's better off without the lot of you."

I gasped, Susan's jaw dropped open, Edmund clenched his jaw, and Lucy ran forward to stand before her brother. "Stop it!"

Peter took one look at her, as did Caspian, and then they exchanged a glance full of the bitterest hatred I've ever seen before we all went inside. We all went our separate ways, Peter taking off with Caspian and Susan to talk things out and discuss battle plans, Lucy going to chat with Reepicheep and Trufflehunter, which left Edmund and I alone.

"I'm proud of you," Edmund said. I looked up to see him staring blankly at me. I gave him a questioning look. "You went through so much last night at the castle, and you didn't break once. To be honest, I thought you were going to have a meltdown when you heard that noise in your parents' room from the tower."

"Well, I didn't," I replied.

"I know." A pause. "You know, over the last couple of weeks, I've learned quite a bit about you."

"What do you mean?"

"Your eyes. They say a lot," he said. "But right now, I can't tell what you're feeling."

"I'm feeling confused," I answered. "I—I don't get what went wrong. My father, he was going to shoot me, and my mother was..." and I trailed off, not being able to finish after my voice cracked.

"It's alright," Edmund told me, looking around us. "Here, follow me." The Just King took my arm and led me to the room which held the Stone Table. He closed the door before turning back to me. "Sit down."

I sat down on the edge of the table and he sat next to me, turning his body so we were looking in each other's eyes.

"Are you upset?" he asked, his big, brown eyes filled with worry.

"A little," I admitted, looking down at my hands in my lap.

His eyebrows furrowed as he thought hard about something before he said, "What can I do to help?"

At this I looked up. He could do anything… and I had quite a few things on my mind. I wasn't about to say any of them, but somehow, two words slipped from my lips: "Kiss me."

Edmund, quite obviously taken aback by my sudden request, did a double-take. "I, uh…" he paused, trying to find the right words to say. "Avaline, I—I don't think… we…" he took a deep breath. "Why?"

"You asked," I muttered quietly to myself, but he heard.

"Avaline, I know, but… I don't understand where that _came _from."

"You don't want to know," I whispered. I glanced at him and saw the confusion etched clearly on his forehead and quickly looked away.

"Actually, I do."

I sighed. He wasn't going to back down. "I really like you, Edmund!" I exclaimed. I shocked myself at my sudden confession, but I somehow couldn't find it in me to stop. "I—I don't know why I said that, it just came out and I couldn't help it. And when you kissed me last night on the tower, it was the best thing I've ever felt in my entire life. When you walked with me in the woods last week and I fell down, I acted all confident, like I could get myself back just fine without your help, but I really would've hurt myself even worse if you weren't there."

Edmund's jaw dropping farther and farther open with every word I said until I was sure it would break if it got any wider. When I finished, he snapped it shut. He looked down for a moment, then back up at me. He opened his mouth as if to say something only to close it again. This went on for what seemed like forever until it seemed he finally knew what to say. "Avaline, I—I don't know what to say…"

"Go ahead," I whispered.

"Avaline, this is really hard for me, and I'm sure it'll be even worse for you, okay? And I didn't want for it to be like this… Ava, I love you, alright? But not like that." At first I didn't understand, but then it hit me like a ton of red bricks.

"You—you don't love me?" I said.

"No, Ava, I do, just not like that."

"So… the kiss… it meant nothing?" I asked incredulously. I couldn't believe this was happening.

"You're like my sister, Avaline… I don't think it could've meant anything if I wanted it to."

"So what you're telling me is you kiss your sisters full on the mouth just in general?" I said sarcastically, furiously trying to fight off the tears threatening to overflow.

"Ava… I'm sorry," he whispered.

"No, don't be sorry. It's my fault."

"Avaline," he murmured before reality hit him. "Ava, you're crying!" he exclaimed.

"No I'm not," I denied it, but the truth was evident with the way my voice shook when I spoke.

"Oh my gosh, I had no idea… I'm so sorry," he said. There was a moment of silence before he wrapped his arms around me.

"You don't have to do this," I told him, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Yes I do." He tightened his grip around me. "It's okay…" he murmured. I pressed my face into his shoulder as he rubbed my back comfortingly. We stayed and let the silence surround us in a warm, soothing blanket for a long time. That is, until footsteps sounded outside the stone door.

"Yes. Okay, I'll see you later," a woman's voice said. The person walked through the door. I didn't have to turn to see who it was, Edmund did for me.

"Susan," he said. I heard the Gentle Queen gasp, probably surprised at what lay before her.

"Wh-what happened?" she stuttered. I can't tell you her expression, I still had my face on Edmund's shoulder, but I was sure it was one of pure astonishment.

"She had a bad day," he explained.

"Oh, goodness," Susan said. "This isn't about what Peter said earlier is it?" I heard her make her way over to us and sit down next to me. "Avaline, he didn't mean that. He was angry and didn't realize what he was saying. Please forgive him."

I removed myself from Edmund, sat up, and turned to face his older sister. I noticed the way she looked back at me, and thought it'd be best to wipe away the tears that had stained my cheeks. When I was done, I sat still and let my eyes speak for me.

"Your eyes… they're so hard to read," she told me. "But _I_ think that the thing Peter said… I think that's only part of it." I sighed. Susan was much too smart. I'd never be able to hide anything from these people.

"And_ I_ think you're right," I answered, trying my hardest to keep my face blank. I don't think it worked. _Please don't make her ask, please don't make her ask. Oh, please don't make her ask! _I prayed silently.

"Well, errr…" Susan trailed off awkwardly. "Avaline, would you like to come with me? Lucy and I were just going to make some hot cocoa and have a chat."

I looked to Edmund for an answer, but quickly looked back to Susan. _Why do I need to ask his permission before I do something? I'm a sixteen-year-old girl! I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions. _I told myself before saying, "Yes, that'd be good, thank you."

"Come on, then." Susan stood and held out her hand to help me up. I took it, and we went to the door. She opened it for me, and I turned around to take one last glance at Edmund.

"Go on," the mouthed noiselessly. I then turned around and began walking to the room I shared with the two queens.

00000000

"How about you take a bath? It might would make you feel better," Susan suggested once we reached our room.

"I don't think that sounds too bad," I replied, forcing a smile.

"Alright, I'll go run you some hot water and I'll call you when it's ready." I nodded and with a smile, the Gentle Queen, whose title was given her for a reason, left. Susan was gentle; no other word quite fit the dark-haired queen. She didn't pry, she didn't gossip, she didn't break promises. No, Susan was the gentlest person I knew.

A few minutes later, she came back with the warm water running in the old bathtub that was placed in this old stone building long ago for visitors, though any company here was rare. I undressed and lowered myself into the tub, letting the water sooth me and erase my troubles. _Erase my troubles…_ I thought. In a way, this bathtub reminded me of Edmund. It may sound crazy, but they both have some interesting similarities. When I'm with him, all my troubles go away, just like that. Edmund has a cold water tap and a hot water tap. So far, I don't think I've turned his cold water tap, but I can tell you that the warm water is quite relieving.

_Wait just a second, _I thought, coming to my senses. _Am I _seriously _comparing Edmund to a _bathtub_? Am I out of my mind?!_ Shaking my head to clear my crazy thoughts, I cleaned myself thoroughly until I was satisfied. I then grabbed the tower folded neatly over the side and wrapped it around me.

I opened the bathroom door to find Susan sitting on her cot reading a book. "What book is that?" I asked, frightening her so bad that she jumps a foot in the air, the book flying out of her hands and across the room.

"Avaline, you scared me half to death!" she exclaimed, laughing. I joined in her laughter until she became serious again. "So, now we must pick out a dress for you to wear."

"Must we?" I asked. "My other is perfectly clean."

Susan gasped, covering her mouth in shock. "Avaline, don't you know that it isn't polite to wear the same dress for two days in a row? _Especially _after just having had a bath." I looked down to where I had discarded my old dress on the floor and realized that it was the same green dress that I had worn yesterday at the castle. "You see now?" she said with a smirk on her face.

"Yes, we should do something about that," I replied, opening my bag. "Let's see what we have here…" I murmured to myself, rummaging through it. I picked up two dresses laying at the very top of the bag. "What do you think of these?" I asked, holding them up.

Susan examined both of them carefully. The first, a silver with ice blue trim and stitching, seemed to be in her favor the most, probably because of the tight sleeves and figure-hugging top. Then she turned to the second. It was one I'd had before last night, a dark brown dress with metallic gold stitching and silk underskirt that showed quite a bit through the wide opening in the middle of the skirt.

"I pick the brown one." I looked at her quizzically. "It matches your complexion and brings out your eyes," she explained. I nodded in understanding before slipping it on, along with the metallic gold flats I had worn with the green dress. Susan combed through my hair and braided it in a crown around my head.

"Thanks," I said, looking in the tiny mirror I had stored in my bag. "It looks really pretty."

"Of course it does! Now, it's my turn to get ready." The Gentle Queen wore the only dress she had in Narnia right now, so that couldn't exactly be changed very much, but she managed to braid her hair so well that by the time she was done, my self-confidence was wavering over the edge of _'I'm gonna be sick' _and _'I'm hideous'_.

"Okay, are you ready to go outside?" Susan asked, and I nodded as she moved to open the door. We walked out into the outdoors. The sun had just finished setting, and it was that dim, in-between night and day darkness that surrounded us. There was a light breeze blowing, and I noticed that the other three monarchs and my Telmarine prince of a cousin were sitting in a tiny circle, sipping hot cocoa from some old mugs that look like they'd been found laying around in the woods.

"Hi!" Lucy said, coming up to greet us. She smiled at Susan and gave me a hug. I hugged the thirteen-year-old back, and just when I thought she was going to let me go, she grabbed my hand and pulled me in the direction of the others. "Sit here!" she ordered, pointing to the place next to where her mug sat on the ground.

"Okay, okay, Lucy!" I said, laughing. I could already tell this would be a good night.

**A/N: REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: OK, so first off I want to apologize for not updating until now. I had a bunch of free time without homework, but I didn't feel like writing. Secondly, I want to apologize for the terrible ending to last chapter. Everyone was flipping out in the reviews and I wanted so bad to broadcast across the world: "It'll be fine! It's an Ava/Ed story, it'll get better!" But unfortunately I couldn't, so I'm telling you now. Oh, and just to let you know, the next chapter or two will be probably be very important, so read very carefully.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia. I DO own the OC(s).**

-Chapter 9-

I exhaled in relief as my head hit the pillow. "That was exhausting!" I said, covering my face with my hands.

"I thought it was fun," Lucy replied, sitting on her cot next to mine. "The warm campfire, the hot chocolate, the battle stories… it was quite pleasurable."

I sat up with my legs crossed in the shape of a pretzel. Lucy had had more of the delicious chocolate beverage than anyone needed in two hours, and Susan was nowhere to be found. The Gentle Queen had left the friendly circle when Edmund put on a mocking smirk and said, "Oh, I can tell you some _great_ stories about Susan's old boyfriends." Those tall tales, as Susan had called them, had everybody laughing.

"Of course it was fun, Lucy. It just tired me out," I chuckled quietly at the memories we had made this evening around the fire. Peter told us some interesting battle stories from his reign with the other three Pevensies during the Golden Age of Narnia. Edmund explained in great detail every boy Susan had ever dated and every girl Peter ever liked, though all of these people were from their world. Susan fought with her younger brother and unsuccessfully attempted to clear up the 'fibs' he was telling about her. Lucy, on the other hand, was perfectly comfortable adding in her side of each story shared and drinking as many cups of hot chocolate as she could before Susan banned her from consuming anymore.

"I am not tired at all. I could stay awake all evening!" the thirteen-year-old queen exclaimed excitedly, bouncing up and down a few times on her cot for emphasis. I laughed at the silly girl. She apparently wasn't going to give up her goofiness. Sticking out her tongue and crossing her eyes, she ran around our small room with her fingers wiggling from her ears. I had just fallen onto my back in hysterical fits of laughter when the knob turns. The door opens, squeaking on its old, rusty hinges and in walks Susan the Gentle with a not-so-gentle expression on her young, flawless face.

"Lucy!" she growls, marching over to her younger sister's cot.

"Uh-oh, she's come for me!" she exclaimed, hopping across the room to my cot. Susan glared furiously at Lucy. She reached for a pillow off her own cot, pulled it back behind her head to gain momentum, and threw it as hard as she can at the Valiant Queen. "Ow!" she said, "What was that for?"

"_That _was for humiliating me in front of everybody!" she shouted back.

"Whatever do you mean, Susan?"

"I _mean _you and that pesky brother of ours told embarrassing, untrue stories about me to Caspian and Avaline. What did you think I meant?" Lucy was silent while I took in their argument. "Well… _say _something!" Susan exclaimed, exasperated at her little sister.

"What do you want me to say?"

"Ugh!" the Gentle Queen groaned, putting a hand on either side of her head and looking up at the ceiling hopelessly. After a moment, she looked back to glare at Lucy and marched out of the room the same way she came. We could hear her yelling her entire way down the corridor. "Edmund!"

"Ah!" I could hear him exclaim in mock terror just as Lucy did. Before I knew it, I was hearing more than that. "Ow, ow, ow! Susan stop it, that hurts!"

"Too bad," the eldest queen replied. She had now returned to our room and I could clearly see her drag her younger brother in with her by the ear as he yelped in pain. "Now sit down!" and she shoved him roughly onto her own cot.

"What is this all about?" I asked, confused.

Susan looked at me like I had lost my mind. "Did you not hear the things they were saying about me around the campfire tonight? They were speaking horribly about me, and in front of Caspian, what's worse!"

I gasped, but not before the Just King raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth wide in shock. "You—you mean to tell me that you like C-Caspian?" Edmund stuttered.

"No, of course not!" Susan cried, shaking her head frantically.

"Really? Because that sure is what it _sounds _like," Edmund said suspiciously. Susan blushed profusely, causing her brother to smirk widely. "Ooh, Susan likes Caspian!" he cooed, skipping around the room. He cupped his hands to his heart and looked to the ceiling, fluttering his eyelashes all the while. "Caspian, Caspian, where art thou Caspian?"

"Edmund!" Susan gasped, grabbing a second pillow and tossing it at her brother.

"You can throw," he called, "but you'll never hit me!" He ran around the room, sticking his tongue out at his sister teasingly, taunting her. That is, until Susan snatched yet another pillow and hurled it at him, hitting him square in the chest. "Oomph!" he grunted, clutching his stomach tightly. "What was that for?!"

"Get out of here, you little rat!" Susan shrieked, pushing him toward the door.

"But-"

"I said get out!" and she slammed the door in his face, leaving us in shock. She sure was feeling strongly about what her siblings told us.

00000000

We sat around in the dark of the room, only a candle or two lit around the room nearby so we could see each other's faces clearly. "So Avaline," Lucy said evilly, "have you ever liked a boy?"

I sighed. _Yeah, Lucy, I have. As a matter of fact, I'm completely in love with your brother. _How do you tell a thirteen-year-old that every night you dream and obsess over her brother? Oh, that's right, you can't.

"Well?" she asked. I could tell she was growing impatient.

_Just tell her the truth, _I thought. _It can't be that bad._ "Well, I really like someone right now," I admitted, grinning at the young teen.

"Who, do I know him?" she asked anxiously.

"Actually, you know him quite well," I replied, grinning. She'd never guess who it was.

"Do _I _know him?" Susan asked.

"Yes, you both are very close to him. You've known him for most, if not all, of your lives."

"Oh, who could it be?" Lucy muttered, her eyebrows pressing together in deep thought. Susan was doing the same, only she had a finger under her chin and her eyes were closed. A few moments passed, then, "Okay, I give up. Who is it?"

_Tell her, _I told myself. _Just tell her. You don't have anything to lose. And it might gain their trust. _"You don't really want to know…" I wimped out. I couldn't help it, what if they reacted badly?

"No, you have already gotten our hopes up now. It'd be simply inhuman of you to leave us on such a cliffhanger!" Susan explained.

"But… but…" I glanced at the two sisters and their pleading eyes. "Fine…"

"Yay!" both girls said synonymously, Lucy clapping her hands together and Susan smiling.

"Well, I might have a crush on your brother," I said. They gasped.

"Peter?!"

"Oh, no! No, no, no!" They raised an eyebrow. "I mean, he's a perfectly nice guy and all, but he's really not my type." It only took them a split second to understand what I meant.

"Oh, Avaline, I can't believe it! Have you told him?" Lucy asked excitedly. I nodded my head yes. "What did he say?!"

Both of the queens looked at me intently for my answer. I glanced between the two of them. I couldn't bring myself to let them down, they looked so happy, but then again I couldn't exactly lie to them… "He said he didn't like me back, and that I'm like a sister to him." I looked down at my feet in shame. _It's bad enough keeping this kind of thing to yourself, but when you have to admit it, it's just awful._

"Oh, but that's just atrocious!" Susan exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," I replied.

The Gentle Queen gasped lightly. "Earlier today, when I found you with Ed…?" Her voice went up towards the end in question. I nodded, and felt a tear fall. "Oh Avaline, I'm so sorry," she murmured, pulling me into a sisterly hug. Lucy, not quite understanding what was going on but deciding to join in the comforting anyway, wrapped her arms around the two of us and kissed both our heads. When I finally recovered from the still-fresh heartbreak, I pulled away from the two queens and wiped my eyes dry.

"So, Lucy," I began, forcing a smile onto my face, "do _you _like any boys?"

"No, not yet," she replied honestly. "I honestly think that Peter would have their heads if I did." The girl giggled, and her older sister and I did also.

"Susan?" I turned to her, and she blushed lightly. "Who do you like?"

"Well, I had quite a few handsome men court me back in the Golden Ages before we left, but there's only one man that's ever actually made an impact on my life, and I doubt he even wants to acknowledge my existence," the dark-haired beauty said.

"Whoever was it?" I asked eagerly.

"I think the correct way to put it is, 'Whoever _is _it,'" she corrected before going on. "And he just happens to be a relation to you."

I looked at her with a confused expression before I understood what she was getting at. "Oh, Susan, welcome to the family!" I exclaimed, hugging her tightly. "Does he know?" I asked. I felt like I was doing Lucy's job for her.

No," she said sadly.

"Well," Lucy said, looking mischievously between the two of us. "Ladies, I think we have some work to do."

**A/N: I know it's short, but I have to go to bed now, so yeah. Goodnight, folks!**


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey, folks! Before y'all begin reading, I just want to say thanks to my best friend (well, one of the many I have), lucypotter14! Yes, I do know her in the real world; I'm the one that convinced her to get a fanfiction account. Anyways, read her story "Susan's Story: The Discovery". It's really good!**

**Secondly, I want to thank my wonderful reviewers. I've been slacking off for the past couple of chapters and not doing this, but I want to show my appreciation! So thanks to the following people:**

**Allie Danger, Hella Monetza, Narnia and Harry Potter 4EVER, Guest, Cherry, Daisy 54154, lucypotter14, Counting Airplanes, kaia, StereoHearts64**

**You guys are awesome! Now, without further ado, let's see what Lucy plans to do about Susan and Caspian, and what will happen between Avaline and Edmund. Also, maybe a new surprise coming up soon… read and find out!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia. If I did and I actually published this, you'd own a copy.**

-Chapter 10-

"Avaline, it's time to get up," a woman's voice said. It sounded like Susan, but so early in the morning? It seemed like I'd only been sleeping for an hour. I decided to ignore her.

"Avaline, wake up, we have a big day ahead of us!" Susan announced enthusiastically. If my eyes were open, I'd roll them. Susan sighed; she didn't have much patience. Just then I heard the bedroom door open and footsteps walked over to my cot.

"What's up?" a man asked. I'd know that voice anywhere. Edmund.

"She won't get up!" Susan exclaimed, obviously exasperated.

"Calm down, I'll wake her up. You just go find Lucy, I think she's with Peter and Caspian, and get them something to eat," her brother replied.

"Alright," she replied before warning me in a quieter tone, "Princess Avaline Leigh Turner, if I were you I'd wake up right now, _before _he gets a hold of you!"

"Avvvaaaaline. . . it's time to wake uuupppp," the Just King said. I continued to breathe evenly so the person would think I was still sleeping. "Ava, wakey wakey!" Edmund shook me, but I just held my breath, hoping he'd just leave me alone.

Edmund sighed. "Avaline, I _know _you're awake. I am not as dumb as you think." When I didn't reply, I heard him get up and leave, and then a door opened and closed.

_Finally, _I thought. _Maybe I can get some sleep. _I heard water running and figured he was taking a bath. I had at least twenty minutes to go before he came back to annoy me some more.

I hadn't been alone for five minutes when someone again entered the room. _Who could it be this time? _"Avaline, I'm going to give you one last chance. Are you sure you don't want to get up now?" I didn't answer, and boy did I regret it. Within seconds, icy cold water was being dumped onto my head. I squeezed my eyes tighter closed, my mouth dropping open as I jerked into a sitting position. Expecting that the waterfall was over, I opened my eyes but the next thing I knew, yet another heavy stream of freezing liquid ran down my back. When this one was over, I opened my lids again and glared through the drops of water on my face at the offender.

"_Edmund!_" I screamed, snatching my pillow off the cot and throwing it at him. He looked very amused, and had a seemingly smug expression on his face. "What in Aslan's name was _that_ for?!"

"That was for not getting up when I knew perfectly well that you were awake," he replied, moving a few feet away to lean casually against the wall that my cot was pressed up against.

"But was ice water really your remedy for it?" I asked.

"Well, it worked didn't it?"

"Edmund, you know what I mean!" I exclaimed, slapping his arm. He wasn't too far away from me that I couldn't reach him; I just had to lean over a bit.

"Do I?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow and smirking all the while.

"Ed!"

"Fine, fine. It's time for breakfast and we have a lot to do today, so I need you to get up and dressed. We're meeting at the Stone Table in ten minutes, so hurry up and get ready." He paused. "Or I'll have to _make _you."

"Is that a threat?"

"It is if you want it to be." And with that he walked out of the room. I glanced around and noticed that I was alone now. Susan and Lucy must have already gotten dressed and headed out. I shrugged and headed to the bathroom; I washed my face and hair, carefully combed through each individual strand, and went back to my bag.

As I was looking through the bag, I noticed that I had absolutely no idea what we were doing today, therefore I did not know what to dress myself in. I went through everything that we could be doing. Going over battle plans, spying on the enemies, or (this made me shudder in fear) we could be _fighting _the enemies. The enemies that, no matter how much I wish to deny it, are my people. I rule over them, I am their princess. I'm not the rightful heir to the throne, but for now they have to deal with it.

I shook my head. Why did this matter? I went back to picking out a dress. There was a heavy, silk, ice blue dress with tight sleeves and a figure-hugging top along with metallic silver underskirt, under sleeves, trim, and thin braided collar. It went along with metallic silver flats, and it was the first dress I came upon. But then I came across a dark purple dress that laced up at the top with gray laces and a black undershirt showed underneath. At the skirt, there was a black underskirt that showed between the thin slit at the middle of the dress. It went with black flats.

I finally decided upon the dark purple, thinking that the blue was too formal to wear during such unpredictable times. When I was dressed, I pinned back my bangs and let my medium brown hair fall in a curtain of waves behind my back. I looked in the mirror and was satisfied with my look, so I headed out.

The four monarchs and Caspian were already at the Stone Table when I got there, and it was obvious they were waiting on me. "Finally, I thought you were never going to come!" Edmund exclaimed. I stuck my tongue out at him playfully and he just smiled. Seeing him smile at me made me feel happy.

So we dug in, making small talk until Peter cleared his throat loudly and looked around at each one of us. "I think we should go over what we are going to do today, if that is okay with everyone else?" No one spoke up, so he continued. "Today we will be discussing battle plans and strategies. I need to know everyone's strengths and weaknesses before lunch, so we can train you in your unknowledgeable places and practice in your strong spots. Also, the six of us have specific tasks we need to complete before the end of the day."

"This ought to be good," Edmund muttered from his seat next to me on the steps of the table. I chuckled quietly; what could Peter possibly want us to do _besides _train?

"Susan, you are going to assemble your small army of archers and make sure they know how to shoot, where to shoot, and who to shoot. They must know the plan, and you must go over every possible situation with them." Susan nodded. "Lucy, you must get to know Destrier, Caspian's horse. Also, I need you to speak to Doctor Cornelius and find out as much as possible about the trees. We may need help in battle, and we would have the advantage if the trees joined us. Understand?"

"Yes," Lucy replied. She nodded her head and looked to her brother for him to continue.

"Okay. Ed, you and Avaline will be needed. Telmarine soldiers have been spotted outside the How at the edge of the forests, spying. We already know they have a base set up not too far from here. I need you both to go to it and send King Miraz a letter that I will write for him. Edmund, I will need you to read it aloud to him, and Avaline, you will be there due to your relationship with the King. He will be intimidated by Edmund, but he will be shocked when he discovers that you will be fighting with him. You may take three others to ensure that you get there safely and nothing goes wrong, but only three. Is that clear?"

"Yes," Edmund and I said at the same time. We looked at each other and exchanged glances before laughing.

"Ed, look what you've done to poor Avaline! You are making her immature, just like you," Lucy said, mock-scolding her seventeen-year-old brother.

"Ah, whatever," he replied, rolling his eyes. He poked his sister in the side playfully and she giggled. Then we were back to business.

"Caspian, you will stick with me," Peter announced. "It will not be to anyone's good to have you anywhere else but at the training grounds, or what will be the training grounds anyway." Caspian nodded.

"Will I be trained in sword fighting and archery also, your Majesty?" he asked.

"No, you will be training others in sword fighting."

"And archery?" he asked.

"That is Susan's job," the High King replied. He paused before adding, "Are we all clear on what we are to do?" When everyone nodded their head, he left the room, Caspian trailing behind him. Susan left soon after to begin teaching at the new 'training grounds' and Lucy left later when a faun arrived telling her that Destrier was ready for visitors.

"Guess that leaves you and me," Edmund said.

"Again," I added, giggling. Then I remembered that we weren't going to be for long. The smile was wiped from my face. "When are we leaving?"

"A few minutes," he replied, matching my tone. He looked nervous, though not anywhere near as nervous as I felt.

"Oh," I responded, my eyes dropping to the floor.

There was a pause, then he said, "It'll be alright, you know."

"I know. It's just that I'm a little scared to see my father again."

Edmund nodded, and we let the silence of the place take over. We sat there for a while just like that, looking down, deep in thought, until he stood up. "I think it's time to go."

"Who are we bringing?" I asked.

"Wimbleweather the giant, Glenstorm the centaur, and Trufflehunter."

"Okay," I nodded, and followed him as he made his way to the door.

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"I, Peter, by the gift of Aslan, by election and by conquest, High King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel and emperor of the Lone Islands, in order to prevent the abominable effusion of blood, do hereby challenge the usurper Miraz to single combat upon the field of battle. The fight shall be to the death. The reward shall be total surrender."

"Tell me, Prince Edmund…" my father said before being interrupted.

"King," Edmund corrected him.

My father looked as if he was about to say something, but then changed his mind as confusion overtook him. "Pardon me?"

"It's King Edmund, actually. Just 'king' though. Peter's the High King." Edmund paused to see Miraz's reaction. "I know, it's confusing."

My father sighed before asking, "Why would you risk such a proposal when our armies could wipe you out by nightfall?"

Edmund looked between him, Lord Sopespian, and the other Lords. "Haven't you already underestimated our numbers? I mean, only a week ago, Narnians were extinct."

"And so you will be again."

I blinked in surprise. My father's army may be good, but is really so deluded as to think that he can wipe out the entire Narnian population so efficiently that they die out completely?

"Well then you have little fear," Edmund replied.

Miraz looked taken aback for a moment, but then recovered. He spoke through his teeth, "This isn't a question of bravery."

"So you're bravely refusing to fight a swordsman half your age?"

"I didn't say I refused."

Lord Sopespian spoke up then. "You shall have our support, Your Majesty, whatever your decision. Sire, our military advantage alone provides the perfect excuse to avoid what might otherwise be..."

"I'm not avoiding anything!" Miraz said, standing up straight from his chair and glaring at Sopespian.

"I was merely pointing out that my lord is well within his rights to refuse," Sopespian said.

"His Majesty would never refuse," one of the lords said, "He relishes the chance to show people the courage of their new king."

Miraz looked between the two of them for a moment before turning to Edmund. "You," he growled in his thick Telmarine accent. "You'd better hope your brother's sword is sharper than his pen."

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"Well, that went well," Edmund announced as soon as we were free from my father's meeting tent. We were only a few yards outside it and we could see them just as well as they could see us, but we were safe to talk without them overhearing us.

"Yes, it went much better than I thought it would," I replied, smiling up at him.

He smiled back down to me and slowly began to lean in. I didn't know what was going on any better than anyone else did, and yet there was a part of me that did. His face was only inches from mine before he flashed a beautiful smile at me and said, "You're so beautiful when you're happy."

And then his lips reached mine and the world stopped turning. _What just happened?! _I asked myself, and then I knew.

Here we go again.

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	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hey, you guys! Thanks to the following people:**

**Allie Danger, Hella Monetza, Narnia and Harry Potter 4EVER, Guest, Guardian of Imagination, Daisy 54154, lucypotter14, Counting Airplanes, kaia, StereoHearts64**

**I love you guys! Oh, and thanks especially to lucypotter14 for reading the beginning of this chapter earlier today at school and approving of my idea! Love ya, girl!**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately for me, I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia in any way, shape, or form. Pity.**

-Chapter 11-

~Miraz's POV: 3rd person~

King Miraz spoke angrily to his lords. "You have all made me look like a fool!" he growled in his thick Telmarine accent. The lords at the table on either side of him listened intently to their king. "I will not tolerate this again! The next of you to speak for me will spend the night in a cell!"

The Telmarine king continued on, pointing out the flaws in each of the people around him in his anger. "Now we need to stop focusing on my bravery and begin thinking about what we are going to do if something goes wrong. We will be subjected to battle no matter what, most certainly, and we need to find out where the Narnians have their weak spots."

"My king," Lord Sopespian said. He looked straight ahead of him, by the trees and brush in front of their meeting tent. Miraz continued yelling. "My king," Sopespian said again. He tapped the false king's shoulder and whispered, "King Miraz!"

"What?!" he exclaimed, turning to Sopespian harshly.

"His Majesty may want to see this," the lord replied, pointing to the woods beyond their tent. They couldn't hear what was going on, but they could see quite clearly.

Right before their eyes was King Edmund walking next to Princess Avaline. Each moment their pace became slower and slower until they finally stopped. Edmund turned to face the Telmarine princess, still talking all the while, until Avaline stopped short and said only a few words. It seemed that the two seemed thoughtful for a moment. What happened next was what made King Miraz's decision.

His daughter, the sweet, caring, always-modest Princess Avaline, leaned forward as King Edmund cupped her cheek, and suddenly their lips touched. They kissed in such a passionate way, it wasn't difficult to see that they felt strongly to each other. Anyone could see a relationship forming between the two, even if they themselves didn't know it yet.

"Ah, so _that's _how it is," King Miraz murmured, rubbing his hands together thoughtfully. He stared for a moment more before he said, "General!"

General Glozelle snapped his eyes to his king from where he had also been watching the beautiful Princess Avaline. "Yes, my lord?"

"See to it that Queen Prunaprismia and Prince Skandar arrive here at the base by morning," he ordered.

"Is that all, sire?"

"No," the king answered slowly. "I want you to make sure King Edmund has said his goodbyes by this evening." He smiled evilly and focused his gaze on the Just King, now gazing into the princess' eyes adoringly. "I have a feeling he won't live to say them by morning."

~Avaline POV: 1st person~

"Edmund," I murmured, pulling away from his touch. His hand cupped my cheek and his lips were close to mine, though not quite touching.

"What is it?" he asked, pulling back a bit farther to examine me. He looked into my eyes and saw the confusion, the hurt, the pain I was feeling. And beside all of that, he saw the betrayal I felt at the kiss I knew he would deny participating in. Edmund knew what he did to me. He knew that it hurt me to see him, let alone to touch him, but yet he was forcing me into doing the one thing I wanted most, and the one thing I knew he wanted least. Or did he?

"Oh," he whispered, taking a step back from me and removing his hand from my skin. "I see."

I glanced around us and gasped as I realized where we were. "Edmund," I said, trying to stay calm. He didn't listen, he was zoned out and looking at the ground where he was kicking a rock silently with his right foot. "Edmund," I said again, reaching over to shake his arm.

He looked up. "Hmm?"

"Look behind you," I whispered. He did, and gasped at what he saw. My father was smirking the most evil smirk I have ever seen on him while rubbing his hands together. I didn't know what to think. Either he was planning attack, or he was planning assassination. I honestly think I preferred the first.

"What do you think he wants?" Edmund asked under his breath.

"I don't know," I replied. I watched as the Telmarine king turned his eyes from us and looked at General Glozelle. He was ordering something; I could tell by the way his eyes suddenly turned slightly more serious than they were previously.

We watched a second more before Edmund turned and grabbed my hand. "Let's go." And with that we left.

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"Oh my goodness, whatever happened?" Lucy exclaimed, running over to me and her brother. We were walking up the path to Aslan's How, frowning.

"Ask him," I said angrily, glaring over at Edmund. He returned my look by glancing at me, confusion clear in his eyes.

"Edmund?" Lucy asked, her forehead wrinkling in perplexity.

"Miraz. He accepted," Edmund answered. We both continued walking until we reached the archway before the How.

"No!" I exclaimed, causing him to turn and look at me. "Don't you _dare _blame this on my father. He didn't do anything; you kissed me in front of him!"

I practically saw the light bulb go on over his head. "Oh, so that's what this is about?" he asked. "I thought that's what you wanted!"

"It was, but not in front of my father! Do you even know what this means?" I questioned him angrily. I didn't wait for an answer. "It means he knows how I feel about you. And he doesn't really care whether I'm his daughter or not. He's going to do whatever it takes to break me."

Edmund stared at me, all anger cleared from his face and replaced by the shock of what I had just told him. Lucy gasped, her eyes wide in bewilderment. "A-Avaline," she said. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, Miraz will do whatever it takes to hurt us, to break us apart. Even if it means he has to kill." Lucy suddenly stood up straighter as if being struck by lightning and ran into the stone building. A few moments later, Peter appeared outside with her.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"King Miraz wants to break us apart," Lucy explained. "Avaline says he'll do anything to do it. He would _kill _one of us."

"We cannot let that happen," Peter said. He looked around us, and then motioned for us to follow him as he made his way inside Aslan's How.

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"Cakes and kettledrums!" Trumpkin exclaimed. "That's it? _That's_ your next big plan?" We all looked at him, confused. "Sending a little girl into the _darkest _parts of the forest… alone?"

"It's our only chance," Peter said harshly. The High King _really _didn't like it when people questioned his plans.

"And she won't be alone," Susan spoke.

"Haven't enough of us died already?" Trumpkin asked, looking around at both of them.

Trufflehunter reached out and tried to calm his friend. "Nikabrik was my friend, too. But he lost hope. Queen Lucy hasn't. And neither have I," the badger said.

"For Aslan!" a few Narnians shouted.

The DLF looked to Lucy. "Then I'm going with you."

"No," Lucy said soothingly, putting a hand on the dwarf's shoulder. "We need you here."

"We have to hold them off until Lucy and Susan get back," Peter continued, trying to ignore the dwarf objecting to his arrangements.

"If I may," Caspian began, "Miraz would be subject to targeting myself and Avaline first if we were to end up in battle against them. This means that Avaline should be carefully concealed somewhere-"

"Somewhere that he couldn't find her," Edmund blurted out. Everyone in the room looked at him, confused, and he looked down at the ground in embarrassment.

"Err, _yes_.Somewhere that he couldn't find her," Caspian agreed awkwardly. He directed his gaze to me and winked with a slight smile on his face. I rolled my eyes before he continued. "But as he will also be searching for me, I think I should go with Lucy and Susan… to keep them safe."

"And yourself," Peter added.

"Yes. And myself," Caspian agreed.

"Okay, so we're all settled and ready?" the High King asked.

Everyone said yes before we all yelled, "For Aslan!" and went off, minding our own business.

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"Tomorrow is the duel," Susan said quietly.

She was sitting on the edge of her cot, Lucy and I sitting on the floor in front of it, quietly. The Valiant Queen and I both nodded absentmindedly.

"We need to find something to wear that will protect us in case we do go into battle," she said.

"Yes," I whispered in agreement. The three of us were feeling awfully quiet right now, and the fact that Peter was going to fight King Miraz tomorrow morning wasn't exactly helping anything.

"Well," the Gentle Queen said, hopping up from her cot. "Let's get up and find something. Why sit here like dead slugs when we have work to do?!"

Lucy and I exchanged glances. Susan got so crazy sometimes. "Alright," Lucy said, getting up and pulling me along with her. She actually was able to pull me onto my feet from where I was sitting on the ground with my legs crossed. Who knew that a thirteen-year-old girl that probably didn't even weigh ninety pounds could pull up a sixteen-year-old girl who did? "You know Susan, not everyone has the same fascination in clothes as you. You're lucky that Avaline does, because otherwise you'd be stuck with me." Susan laughed at her little sister and moved over to my bag.

"What size do you wear?" she asked me. I shrugged, because to be honest I really didn't know, nor did I care. I simply put on whatever fit. "Okay, well do you mind if Lucy tries on one of your older dresses and I try on one of the newer? I think we should be about the same size."

"Sure," I replied. What else was I supposed to do? So I grabbed my bag and laid out all the dresses it contained on my Susan's cot.

"Oh, goodness, these are so gorgeous. I haven't seen anything this beautiful since we came back to England at the end of the Golden Age!" Susan exclaimed while Lucy rummaged through her own satchel and grabbed a dress.

"Susan, I grabbed one for both of us from the treasure chambers at Cair Paravel."

"Oh, but how did you know to bring them?" Susan asked.

"I just had a feeling you'd _want_ something else to wear, and I, on the other hand, would _need_ something else to wear," she replied, giggling while Susan's face turned red. With those thoughts pushed aside, Susan and Lucy tried on their old dresses. "Oh, bother!" Lucy exclaimed.

"What is it?" Susan and I asked together.

"My old chainmail doesn't fit," she said sadly.

"Oh well, you won't be in the actual battle anyway. Remember? You're supposed to go see if you can find Aslan with me," Susan told her.

"Yes, but you get to wear _your _chainmail!"

"That is because I am older than you, therefore I get to be in the battle if need be."

Lucy sighed in defeat, knowing already that she wasn't going to win this. So she put back on her old red dress she was wearing and tied on her white corset over it. Meanwhile, I was going through two dresses that I found appropriate for our situation. I finally decided upon a dark aqua dress with puffy sleeves until my elbow, where they were tight and fitting to my arms. The puffs in the sleeves had white designs stitched onto them, as did the corset. The skirt had a slit from my lower hips to the floor on each side of the dress where, while walking, a white underskirt was visible. I had black flats to match; I didn't want my white ones to get soiled. Susan was lending me an extra woman's chainmail top that she retrieved from the treasure chambers at Cair Paravel. I would put it over my dress, and it would be a half-sleeved top.

Susan put on yet another purple dress, only this one had more color to it and it was much darker than the old dress. She too had a half-sleeved chainmail top to put over it. Lucy didn't have to wear any chainmail or a new dress since neither of the ones she brought for herself fit. She didn't mind too much though, she mostly wanted to just find Aslan and get the battle over with. So, with those things in mind, we packed up our clothing, stored it away for tomorrow, put on our other clothes from earlier, and hung around to talk until time for bed.

Soon after, we decided it was time to go to sleep, seeing as we had to prepare for the battle coming early the next morning.

**A/N: Thanks to Hella Monetza and lucypotter14 for helping me out of my horrible writer's block and giving me guidance on what to include in this chapter. You girls are awesome!**

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	13. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hey, peoples! What's up? I'm gonna let all my excitement out on you guys, and I hope you don't mind. So last night me and my friend lucypotter14 were trying to text this guy in our class and he wouldn't pick up and I was like "Grrr!" But now I know that he probably had his phone taken away, so yeah… anyways. It was exciting at the time. Pretend none of this nonsense just came out on the internet.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia. I do own Avaline and any other OCs.**

-Chapter 12-

It was the morning of the duel and I was worrying more than I have in my entire life. What if something went wrong? What if our plans backfired? After all, they could just as easily blow up in our faces as they could work.

The horn woke us that morning. I rose unwillingly, yet knowing that I had to. Lucy and Susan did the same, and we had the short but friendly greetings of, "good morning!" and "did you sleep well?" before getting straight to work. We had a lot to do before 10:30 a.m., and only three hours to do it. So we slipped on our dresses, Lucy in her red one and Susan also in a red dress, and I grabbed my aqua dress before Susan placed a hand on my arm to stop me.

I looked up at Susan questioningly and she silently replaced the dark aqua dress in my hands with one of a bright crimson color with gold stitching on it. On either of my shoulders was an image of a large, majestic lion in gold stitching, highlighted perfectly by the bold, Narnian-looking shade of bright red fabric of the dress.

"You're one of us now," Susan said, "and you need to start looking like it."

I nodded, slipping the dress over my head and fastening the gold leather belt that held my dagger around my waist.

When we were done getting dressed, Lucy suggested, "Let's head down to breakfast." Susan and I followed the auburn-haired girl out of the door and to the meeting room, where several of our friends were already seated on the ground.

I was just about to go and sit down next to Lucy and Susan when I heard someone clear their throat loudly. I turned to see Edmund behind me, patting the ground next to him. Knowing he meant for me to sit with him, I moved to the place where he was sitting on the two small steps that led to a passageway led to the room that him, Peter, and Caspian shared.

Edmund was eating a large sandwich that looked to contain ham, cabbage, and onion. The ham had been brought back from the Telmarine palace with Doctor Cornelius, and the cabbage and onions were grown outside of Aslan's How. _Ugh, battle food is so disgusting! _I thought.

But, seeing as we all had to eat one of these and it was the only thing available at the moment, I swallowed my disgust and dug in.

"So" Edmund began, "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes," I replied after swallowing an absolutely revolting bite of cabbage. "Did you?"

"Yes, I did," he responded. As he said this though, I saw a far-away look come into his eyes and I could automatically tell that something was bothering him. I had known the Just King for quite a while now, and as much as he may dislike it at times, I knew him like the palm of my hand.

"Ed?" I said, and he looked up. "Is everything alright?"

He shook his head so as to clear his thoughts and said, "Yes, of course! Why wouldn't it be?" But his eyes told me otherwise.

00000000

"Destrier has always served me well. You are in good hands," Caspian reassured Lucy and Susan. I was standing next to him, watching as he set up his horse for its long journey.

"Or hooves," Lucy giggled. Caspian chuckled lightly at her joke.

Then he became serious again. "Good luck," he said, looking to Susan, and I couldn't help but notice the way he looked at her. It was familiar, but I just couldn't seem to put my finger on it…

"Thanks," the dark-haired queen replied, breaking their eye contact and gripping the reins a bit tighter in her hands as she stared straight ahead of her.

"Look," Caspian said, requesting the Gentle Queen's attention once again. "Maybe it is time you had this back." He slowly held a creamy white horn up to her.

She seemed deep in thought for a moment before she smiled down at him. "Why don't you keep it?" Susan suggested. "You might need to call me again."

And with that said she was off, Lucy holding her sister's waist tightly as they galloped away.

We stared after them, me and Caspian, until they disappeared. Then Caspian spoke. "I'll go get him." So I was left alone in the dark, torch lit area. I began to hum to myself as I slowly paced back and forth, back and forth, around the room absentmindedly.

In a few moments, I heard it. "You haven't left yet?"

Even though I didn't have to; I could recognize his voice anywhere, I turned to see Edmund slowly strolling toward me.

We locked eyes and I somehow found it impossible to look away. The depth of his dark brown eyes made it out of the question to so; I was drowning. When he was close enough for me to touch him, he stopped and stood before me. I studied his eyes, to know what he was thinking, but his face was blank and expression unreadable.

"No," I replied, never breaking our gaze. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Why?" he asked. That's when my train of thought suddenly changed because, if the truth be told, I honestly didn't know why. I simply felt this urge to talk to him one last time before this whole thing began.

"I—I don't know," I answered.

"Well then maybe I should leave," he replied coolly, turning on his heels quickly.

"No, Edmund, wait!" I said. He paused but remained where he was, his back to me. "What is up with you?" I asked.

"Nothing is wrong, okay?" he shouted, facing me again. "Why won't you just mind your own business?"

"Because obviously something _is _wrong. I was just trying to help-"

"Well you know what? I don't _need _your help. So just do me a favor and butt out."

I gasped at his words; I had never been spoken to by him like this before. "Ed, please… you can't go out there like this. Just talk to me," I said.

He shook his head stubbornly. "Edmund, please—it _pains _me to see you like this!" I begged.

He was silent for a moment. "You know what?" he said, his voice a bit softer now. He took a step toward me. "I'm sorry I yelled at you like that. It was wrong of me. But I will say one other thing, too. When you are confused about your feelings for someone, it takes a lot to un-confuse yourself, right?" I nodded in response. "Well I'm trying hard to do that, and I'm sorry, but we can't be friends until I do. It just won't be the same between us. I'm sorry." And with that he left.

I stared after him, thinking over the meaning of his words for a while. I felt the tears building up in my eyes, felt when they spilled over and coursed down my cheeks slowly.

My head hurt. It was pounding with confusion.

My throat hurt. It was throbbing with the exertion it took for me not to cry aloud.

My heart hurt. It too was throbbing with the pain of what just happened. But this was expected; after all, it had just broken into a million pieces.

And the most prominent, the most excruciating pain of all…

_ I _hurt. _I _hurt more than anything else. I can't describe it, it was like all of the air was knocked from my body but for some reason, no matter how much I wanted it in that moment, I wouldn't die.

Death. I pondered over this for a while. Death. Yes, death would be better than this. Much, much better. At least then I'd be in a happier place. What I wouldn't give to die now. Maybe then the pain would go away.

But I couldn't die, not now at least. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and made my way over to my horse. I slung my leg over and settled myself into a more comfortable position before I grabbed the reins and led the horse into the forest, where I knew two queens were waiting for me.

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~Susan POV (3rd person)~

"They've seen us!" Lucy exclaimed, whipping her head back around to her sister. Susan forced the horse to go faster and faster into the woods until they had almost lost the Telmarine soldiers following them. Then the mare slowed considerably until finally they stopped.

The Gentle Queen hopped off the saddle, and her sister slid up to fill in the place where Susan was sitting.

"Take the reins," Susan said, holding them out to Queen Lucy.

"What are you doing?" the thirteen-year-old asked worriedly.

Susan paused, then placed her hand on Lucy's. "I'm sorry, Lucy. But it looks like you'll be going alone after all." Then the dark-haired girl patted the horse's back once and watched her sister ride off.

The eighteen-year-old queen grabs her bow and grips it tightly in her hands, then pulls an arrow back on the string and positions it. She turns to see her little sister stopped and staring regretfully at her, and lets her eyes signal to Lucy to go. Then she does, and the soldiers approach, yelling orders to each other as they come closer and closer to Susan.

She shoots at them over and over, watching as each one drops dead, one after another. Then one comes behind her unexpectedly, and her bow is knocked from her hands. The soldier is just about to attack her when suddenly, the sound of hooves advance. Looking to where the sound is coming from, she sees her own personal savior.

He quickly disarms the soldier with his sword and kills him. He then rides his own horse over to the Gentle Queen, holding out a hand to her while smiling. "Are you sure you don't need that horn?"

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~Avaline POV (1st person)~

I rode quickly through the woods, searching frantically for any signs of Susan and Lucy. After an hour, I still can't find them. I have been worried sick over what could have happened to them while I was gone, but I can't bring myself to believe they're dead.

That's when I hear approaching hooves and turn to see Caspian on his horse, Susan with her arms tight around his waist behind him.

"Need a lift?" Caspian asked, a smirk topping his humorous expression.

"I have my own horse, you know," I said, gesturing with a single hand motion toward the horse beneath me. He laughed in response.

"Well, you look a little lost. Do you want to follow us to the battle field?" my Telmarine cousin asked.

"Yeah," I responded gratefully, following him as he led me and his own horse out of the forest we were currently stationed in and onto the battle field.

We rode and rode in silence, our horse trotting through the trees and jumping over the underbrush. None of us spoke a word on our journey on the way to the bigger journey. And that's what it was… a journey. One with the potential to kill us if Peter didn't succeed today. Even if he did beat Miraz, the Telmarines would find some way to take us down. I didn't trust them. I was one of them, but yet something about the way my father had accepted Peter's proposal to the duel, something about the way he smiled that evil, crooked toothed smile of his made a shiver of fear run down my spine.

Something was wrong. Yes, something was _definitely _wrong.

As we neared Aslan's How, I saw the Telmarine army on one side and the Narnian army on the other side closest to the How. I stared in awe at my father's army, shocked. They definitely outnumbered us, if not in weapons and skill then in physical numbers.

I could see Caspian and Susan thinking the same thing, but they quickly composed themselves in an attempt not to worry me. But it didn't work, and their tries were in vain. I was already worried.

No, not just worried. No, that sounds much too simple for what I was feeling. It was more like: hyperventilating.

As we approached the battle field, I saw Peter limping off of the circle where Miraz and him were battling to the death. The High King's forehead was plastered with sweat, whereas my father only had a few drops dampening his hair. Peter was hobbling away to where Edmund was waiting for him, and Miraz was walking, with quite a bit of trouble, while holding his bleeding leg tightly. At least Miraz was somewhat hiding his pain.

All in all, Peter looked the least likely to win this thing at the moment.

That's when I saw it. I was watching my father return to Lord Sopespian and General Glozelle when my mother and brother appeared from the army of Telmarines behind them at the very edge of the woods. My mother, clothed in a long, flowing violet gown was holding hands with the Telmarine prince, who was wearing a long-sleeved purple tunic with black trousers and boots. He looked so grown up, what with his outfit and little silver crown atop his black, wavy hair.

I stared in shock at the sight of them. Miraz, seeing me staring behind him, followed my wide-eyed gaze backward until he found what he was looking for. My family. He turned back to me with an evil smirk on his face, watching as my mouth slowly dropped lower and lower. I would've kept my face like this for ages and ages if it hadn't been for Peter, snapping my attention back to the present.

"Lucy?" he asked, looking worriedly at Susan.

"She got through…" Susan said, gazing at him, "with a little help."

Peter nodded to her and turned to Caspian, standing next to his eighteen-year-old sister. "Thanks," he said gratefully. I could tell that he didn't want to do it as the High King and my cousin haven't exactly been the best of friends since we met so many weeks ago in the woods, but I could also see that Peter was deeply and truly thankful.

"You were busy," Caspian replied simply, waving his thanks off. Then the three of them turned to me.

"Are you okay?" Peter asked me.

"Yes, of course," I responded. I looked up to see Edmund staring intently at me, as if he was able to tell that everything was not alright, and that nothing would be as long as we were in this fight. As long as everything was so cold between us, all I would feel was heartbreak. But he didn't say anything while I lied to his brother, acting as if everything in the world fine.

"Okay," the Magnificent King replied. He paused before saying, "I don't think the Telmarines will keep their word."

Susan reached forward to hug him. She placed her hand on his shoulder, trying to hug him gently, but he winced slightly and hissed quietly in pain when the gentle contact hit his arm. Susan pulled out of their embrace and looked down, ashamed.

"Sorry," she murmured to her older brother.

"It's alright," he replied, massaging his shoulder with his other hand. Then Miraz began walking back toward the area marked off for the sword fighting duel. The High King looked back at us: Caspian, Susan, myself, and Edmund.

"Be careful," Susan told him, and gave him a small grin.

"Keep smiling, Pete," Edmund said, looking between his brother and his people. The Narnians were staring at their king with worry and anxiety quite obviously placed heavily on their innocent shoulders.

Peter looked straight at them, raised his sword, and with an encouraging, wide smile the Narnians went into an uproar in the crowd.

But suddenly the king's shoulder went out with a loud crack, but fortunately only the few of us close to him could hear it. Peter reeled forward in pain, clutching his shoulder with his free hand. Edmund came rushing over and placed both of his hands on his brother's shoulder.

"I think it's dislocated," Peter said through ragged breaths, trying his hardest to remain strong for his country. Then I saw something glaze over in his eyes. "What do you think happens back home… if we die here?"

Edmund looked the nineteen-year-old king in the eye and stopped what he was doing. Everyone around them stopped as they watched the brave High King lose faith.

"You know, you've always been there, and I never really…" but he got cut off by Edmund suddenly popping Peter's shoulder back into place before he could finish.

"Save it for later, Pete," Edmund said and walked away. And then the High King of Narnia once again stepped onto the air marked off for the duel, fierceness raging and hatred turning his vision red as he neared the man he hated most. Miraz.

**A/N: Hey, folks! I know that was a HUGE cliffhanger, but I promise you that you'll get a new chapter. And just for not updating this chapter for a full week and two days (sorry about that, our computer wasn't working!) I made this chapter extra long! Usually I only type about 2,400-2,600 words in each chapter, but this one equals exactly 3,105, **_**not **_**counting the author's notes, so consider yourself blessed for now. I hope you enjoyed it, I know I sure did enjoy writing it! This was a really good chapter to me, and I'm really proud of it :)**

**Anyways, so since it was super good **_**and**_** since it was super long **_**and **_**since I worked really hard on it… don't I deserve twice as many reviews as I normally get? Tell you what, I'll update if I get ten reviews on this chapter. Sound good to you? It does to me ;)**

**So…. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey people :) OMG, so I just went to see Oz in the theaters, and it is one of the awesomest movies I have ever seen! Like, seriously, it's amazing… go see it!**

**Anyways, this is chapter thirteen of **_**Just the Justice**_**, and I can honestly tell you that this will be an extremely important chapter. Read this thoroughly, because this will be the basis of the next couple of chapters. Also, it's the main climax of the entire story, so you have to pay careful attention to each detail to understand and fully grasp the entire meaning. If you don't, there will have been absolutely no reason for you to have read this.**

**And I just now realized that I'm giving you all a lecture, so… I'm going to stop now.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Narnia. If I did, I'd probably be a billionaire right now.**

-Chapter 13-

I watched nervously as Peter and my father battled viciously to the death. I couldn't tell you exactly what was going on all the while as I have never quite understood even the basics of sword fighting, but it wasn't pretty. All I could tell was that fact and that neither of them were doing very well.

Miraz had a large gash gushing blood in his left thigh, and Peter had a shoulder that was constantly popping out of place. They each had several cuts and scratches across their faces and such other places that were not covered by the heavy body armor that they each wore.

I kept my eyes focused and tried to keep track of every move they made. After forever and a day had passed, Peter finally disarmed Miraz. I watched as the Telmarine king fell to his knees, clutching his heart with his right hand.

Peter held Miraz's sword in his hands, pointing it toward my father's heart.

"What's the matter, boy?" he asked. "Too cowardly to take a life?" My father spoke in a heavy Telmarine accent that I myself had begun to grow out of between pants.

"No," the High King replied, looking him bravely in the eyes. "But it's not mine to take."

Then he turned backwards to face me, Edmund, Susan, and Caspian. However, he rested his gaze on my cousin and held Miraz's sword out to him. Caspian searched his eyes for a moment before nodding slightly and stepping forward to take the weapon from his King's armored hand.

He made his way to his uncle and stopped when he was only a foot or two away from him. He raised the sword slowly until it was pointed directly at his heart. Caspian's hand shielded the weapon from piercing his own skin by accident, while also making sure that it didn't stray from the path that he wanted it to go.

"Perhaps I was wrong," my father spoke. "Maybe you do have the makings of a Telmarine king after all."

Caspian glared at his evil uncle with the most bitter hatred I have ever seen. Even more bitter than when Peter and him got in their argument and near-sword fight after we returned from the Telmarine castle only a few nights ago.

He glowered viciously at Miraz as he slowly pulled the sword higher and higher. He held it like it was, positioned upward with the tip aimed so that it would fall just into the king's heart, for emphasis. I could tell that he did not really care that he was about to kill his own flesh and blood, and that he couldn't care less. As long as the usurper was killed today, Caspian would be forever grateful and eternally happy.

I glanced up to the Telmarines' side to see my mother and brother standing next to General Glozelle and Lord Sopespian only a few feet away from where an important member of their family was going to die.

My mother looked up to meet my gaze just a moment later and we locked eyes. In hers, I saw pain and saw the reflection of my own eyes in hers. It turned out that I, too, had fear and pain replicated the same as hers in my pupils.

But when I looked down to see my six-year-old brother, the small Telmarine prince, I remembered why I was here. I knew in that moment that it wasn't to cry over the death of my father, but to rejoice in it, for he was the one that the Narnians had wanted dead from the beginning. So I turned from my family and continued to watch Caspian.

However I couldn't help but to sneak just one last glance at my mother and little brother before the execution. I looked and saw my brother holding tightly to the hilt of the sword in his belt, as if ready to begin fighting if a battle began. I seriously doubted that he would be able to do much damage to us even if he did know how to handle a blade, but maybe I was just underestimating him. After all, Telmarines were known for knowing how to fight. But that was mostly subjective to archery.

My mother had her arm held tightly around him while he watched my father. His father. _Our _father. But did Skandar realize that he may never get to see him again?

That's when I heard it. The sickening sound of separating flesh. I blinked twice before I saw it.

There, planted firmly in my father's skin, was a Narnian arrow.

00000000

"Treachery! They shot him! They killed our king!" Lord Sopespian yelled, looking at the bright red feather at the end of the arrow stuck in my father's back. It was so obvious; the Narnians around me gasped as they realized the Lord's true actions.  
The Narnian arrow would never have pierced the skin of King Miraz if Sopespian hadn't planted it there. Where it belonged.  
Peter looked around, not recognizing the truth at first, trying to figure out who shot them. He looked to Caspian and within a split second his expression changed to one of pure hatred of his enemy. Caspian had told Peter with his eyes alone exactly what everyone of the Narnians already knew.  
They had killed their own king.  
"Susan, go take your place on top of the How with the other archers. Now," Peter told Susan with a worried look on his face. She didn't say anything, just passed him a glance with a meaning I couldn't decipher. Then she was gone.  
"Avaline," he said, and I looked up at him. He sighed. "Just... remember what Edmund said." Nodding, I turned to face Aslan's How and began walking toward it. But then I knew. I knew that it wasn't Peter's place, it wasn't Susan's place, nor was it Edmund's place, and it certainly was not Lucy's place, to be fighting in this battle today. This was my fight, and I was going to win it.  
So I tightened my gold leather belt that held my dagger, fetched my bow and sheath of arrows from the concrete outside the How, and spun around to face my destiny.

00000000

~Edmund POV: 3rd person~  
[Music from LWW plays- from war scene before Peter sticks out his sword]

"Attack!" the soldiers shouted as they ran nearer and nearer to Edmund. He stood next to Peter while his brothers slowly counted out loud.  
"One... two... three... four..." the High King said. His voice became stronger and stronger with each number, and his voice didn't crack once. Any normal teenage boy would be hyperventilating at this moment, but Peter and Edmund weren't normal boys. They were kings of Narnia.  
Edmund stared straight ahead of him. What had he done? He shouted at Avaline for something that wasn't in her control. He took his own emotions out on her as if they were her fault. And as if that wasn't bad enough already, Edmund couldn't be sure that he'd live to apologize. But the war was beginning, and he didn't have time to worry about this now.  
"Five... six..."  
Edmund took deep breaths, trying to calm himself. It wasn't the battle that made him nervous. It was the realization that he might not live through it. Death was not his fear, either. It was death while Avaline lived. How would she cope with the loss of the man she loved? Would she be upset? After what happened that morning, Edmund wouldn't be surprised if she didn't care at all.  
"Seven... eight..."  
It was almost time. Only seconds left. Edmund gripped his sword tighter in his armored hands and stood up straighter. He cleared his head of all negative thoughts except the ones that whispered cryptically in his ear, "Kill them."  
He had to. He had to kill them. He didn't think could, no, he couldn't live with himself if those monsters won this thing. Those filthy Telmarines would not be alive by the end of this day. Not after what they did to Avaline. They hurt her, hurt her beyond repair, and now they were going to suffer.  
"Nine... ten... Get ready!" Peter shouted to his army, flashing his sword and slicing it through the air once as a signal to charge. And so they did.  
Fauns, centaurs, minotaurs, cheetahs, rhinosceres, and all different types of animals ran straight at their enemy. At that moment, Edmund felt the ground rumbling underneath him and quickly loaded onto his horse. The earth began to collapse beneath the feet of the clueless Telmarine soldiers. This trick on the Narnians part was really going to give their catapult a run for its money.  
"Edmund!" Susan shouted at her younger brother. He whipped himself around just in time to behead a Telmarine behind him. Seeing the dead soldier lying on the ground, armed with a crossbow, gave Edmund an idea. He quickly ripped it off the man's arm and snatched it.  
The Just King steered his horse in and out of various different locations with heavy fighting, never taking his eyes off his destination. When he reached it, he pulled back the arrow on the crossbow and aimed it directly inside the hole where Caspian and some of his men had knocked in the underground roof of Aslan's How.  
Edmund heard the voice in his head. "Kill them. Kill them all. Show no mercy!" And so he released the arrow from his weapon and watched as it hit several soldiers who were huddled close by each other. Edmund shot another. And another. Finally, after already shooting three times and not getting much result, he loaded three arrows on the crossbow's string at one time. Edmund pulled it back slowly, squinting one eye to take his aim. And then he released, and watched as the three arrows killed nine soldiers.  
But only seconds after the arrows' escape from the weapon, the dark-haired king heard a high-pitch, feminine scream. He would know that scream anywhere.  
Edmund noticed the bit of red fabric barely showing underneath the body of another dead Telmarine soldier. He rushed forward, knowing it was Avaline, and knowing she'd been hit. 'Whoever shot her,' he vowed, 'will pay dearly.' But as he approached the brown-haired princess, he realized the horrible truth.  
He had shot her.

**A/N: -looks around nervously- Erm… okay, well before you all start with the flames and the complaining, here me out. It had to happen for the good things to happen. If the good things don't happen, won't you all be mad? Yeah! So when I had Edmund shoot Avaline, it was for a reason. Trust me!**

**And I'm so so sooooo sorry that I haven't updated sooner. I'm on restriction and my mom said no getting on the computer. I'm actually on this for "school work" right now. Hehe. Anyways, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**


	15. Chapter 14

-Chapter 14-

**A/N: Hey you peoples! :) I'm soooooo... ANGRY! Some girl in my class told a guy that I like him… which I do, but he doesn't need to know that! Lucypotter14, TEXT ME, I'LL TELL YOU THE FULL STORY! Anyways, for those of you that don't know, I decided it'd only be fair to let you know this: there will be a sequel coming up soon! I already have the prologue and first two chapters typed up, I just haven't posted. For the people that read the "prologue" to the sequel, that wasn't it. It was something I accidentally posted. I will post the real prologue soon, just please be patient.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Narnia. Wouldn't it be awesome if I did? ;)**

**Thanks to: lucypotter14, Hella Monetza, kaia, DJ, DawnDestination, Guardian of Imagination, stereohearts, Guest, **

~Edmund POV: 3rd person~

Edmund dropped to his knees in front of the unconscious girl, fear pulsing adrenaline through his veins. He grabbed her hand and flipped it over to reveal her wrist. Pressing his middle and index fingers to the inside of her wrist, he became still and listened. Over the clashing of swords, shouts of instruction, and other battle noises, Edmund could hear her quite clearly. Clearly enough to know that there was no pulse. There was nothing.

"No," he whispered. Edmund stared at her body, watching for any sign of her lungs still working, but after a few moments the Just King realized the blatantly obvious. She couldn't breathe.

"Ed!" he heard a familiar voice shout. Edmund spun around to see his brother pointing to something that was behind him. The dark-haired king crossed blades with two Telmarines at once. After successfully disarming them and driving his sword through their hearts, he turned back to Avaline.

Edmund didn't know what to do. She couldn't breathe... That's when he remembered learning CPR when he took swimming lessons earlier that year back home. It had been required at his all-boys boarding school back in England, and though Edmund didn't have much interest in swimming, he learned it. He had begun to like it but, when he was taught first aid and CPR, he thought it ridiculous and didn't see why he had to learn it. Now he was glad he did.

The Just King pulled Avaline's jaw down and pried her mouth open. Then he saw what he had suspected: Avaline's throat was clogged with blood that had come up when she was shot.

Flipping the girl's body over and patting her back roughly, he watched as the blood spilled from her mouth and onto the earth beneath them. A sigh of relief escaped his lips before he realized he had no idea what to do next. If he tried to give her mouth-to-mouth, there was a good chance that, out in the middle of the battlefield, they could get injured or attacked. If he took her inside, he would no longer be helping his country. What to do?

The seventeen-year-old strapped his crossbow onto his back and picked Avaline up into his arms. He ran out of the hole he was in, onto the field, and began to run toward the How, but not before Caspian caught him in the midst of fighting.

"Edmund!" Caspian exclaimed, ducking and attacking as he fought off a soldier. "What happened?" The prince's mouth was gaping open at the sight of his cousin's unmoving body in Edmund's arms.

"She got shot," Edmund explained, looking around frantically for help and finding none.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Caspian asked, disarming the same soldier and stabbing him through the chest. "Get her out of here!" Then he turned to attack yet another Telmarine and Edmund was left alone to wonder what to do.

And so he did what Caspian had ordered; he got Avaline out of there. However, running through a battlefield full of angry Telmarines with a sixteen-year-old girl in your arms isn't exactly as easy as it looks.

00000000

"Cornelius!" Edmund exclaimed, putting Avaline on a cot next to the professor.

"Goodness!" the dwarf cried, "What happened?"

"She got shot," he explained for the second time. Cornelius circled around the Telmarine princess. "Help her. Now!" Edmund yelled when he wasn't being quick enough.

"I have to determine the state she's in. You must trust I know what I am doing." The doctor paused. "Go get your sister and Caspian."

Edmund was heading toward the door when he suddenly thought of something else. "And Peter?" he asked.

"Only if it's safe." The dwarf was just checking the brown-haired beauty's pulse when Edmund left.

00000000

"What in Aslan's name is going on?" Peter demanded, bursting through the wooden double doors. "This had better be good, because our troops are-" and here he stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide at the sight before him. Caspian and Susan, who had entered silently behind him, gasped, for what lay before them was simply horrifying.

Now, you may be wondering what it was. Well, be patient, for I am about to tell you.

Avaline lay on the cot, her arms crossed awkwardly over her chest and her face twisted into a deformed expression of pure agony as Doctor Cornelius probed around the unconscious girl's stomach. The open wound there gaped open in a bright red, swollen, bloody mess. Green liquid poured in torrents from it and Edmund wiped at it every couple seconds with a towel. She was a deathly pale; her skin was almost translucent. All around the room was blood. And blood. And even more blood.

The three newcomers' eyes came to rest upon the puddle of blood at Edmund's feet. The youngest Pevensie boy followed their gaze until he saw what they saw. Blood. _Her _blood.

In the heat of the moment, he hadn't exactly been paying attention to the scenery, so to speak, and now as he took in his surroundings, he was beginning to feel sick.

"Ed?" Susan said uneasily, her complexion turning a sickly green at the room before her.

Edmund knew what she wanted. So he explained everything to them, only leaving out the goriest of details for his sister's sake. When he was finished, he said, "Cornelius is cleaning out the wound, hoping to bleed out the poison, but it's instead only bleeding out the temporary healing potion-"

"Poison?!" Caspian cried in disbelief. He drew his sword and moved forward to press it painfully against Edmund's neck. "If you killed my cousin..."

Edmund was shocked at the Telmarine prince's menacing tone, but he knew every word was rightly delivered. He should know; he was the Just King. He suddenly broke down. "I'm sorry, I'm so, _so_ sorry! I-I never meant to- I didn't know they were poisoned-potion isn't working-she's _dying_!"

Caspian lowered his sword, appalled as he watched the Just King burst into tears. Edmund fell to his knees, head in his hands, and began to sob.

"Edmund, I-"

"Don't bother trying to make me feel better, Caspian. I killed her; I deserve to suffer," he gasped through his tears before continuing. "I killed her. I killed her! And I never got the chance to tell her-to tell her I loved her!"

And at that moment, everyone in the room gasped. Even Doctor Cornelius was taken aback. It got so silent in the room that you could hear a pin drop. "Ed?" Peter said cautiously. "You just said you love Avaline."

"I know what I said, Peter. Stop acting like I've gone insane! I'm _not _crazy. I _love_ her, which just makes the fact that I killed her all the worse!"

There was a long, awkward silence that seemed to last for hours and hours. Edmund didn't know what to think of himself. The pain... he could hardly bear it. He just wanted to run outside and let one of those rotton Telmarines slaughter him. After all, it couldn't possibly hurt any worse than this.

In that quiet, Doctor Cornelius was sewing the stitches in Avaline's wound. When he finished, he spoke. "I think the poison has come out about as much as it is going to. I have redosed the potion to replace the amount she lost while bleeding out the wound. It should keep her alive until we can get proper help."

Suddenly, a lightblub went off inside Edmund's head and he jumped a foot in the air. "_Lucy_!" Edmund exclaimed. "Her cordial! It saved me when I was dying, why couldn't it save Avaline?"

All of the others exchanged nervous glances. "Edmund," Susan began, "I think Lucy's cordial will be of no use to Avaline." Tears spilled down her cheeks as she said it, and Edmund knew his sister spoke nothing but the truth.

"Of course, we can't be sure until she has some that it won't help. It doesn't hurt to try," the professor said hopefully. But I honestly think that they all knew the truth.

"Well, we all have to go back and fight," Caspian said. "But, erm... Avaline, if you can hear me, I'm winning this for you." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Love you, cousin."

He stepped aside for Peter. "You have become a sister to me, Avaline. You've kept my family safe when I couldn't. I just want to thank you for always being there for us." He kissed her forehead, also.

"Thanks for dealing with my fashion frantics," Susan chuckled. Then she became serious again. "Thank you for loving myself and Lucy... you've been too kind to us. I love you, sister." The Gentle Queen kissed her friend's cold cheek and her, Peter, and Caspian exited the room.

There was yet another silence before Doctor Cornelius patted Edmund's shoulder comfortingly. "I'll leave you two alone for awhile." And then he left, leaving Edmund alone.

He slowly made his way to the small, wooden footstool on the right side of Avaline's cot. He sat and watched the girl beside him, enjoying her presence even if she didn't know it.

00000000

~Avaline POV: 1st person~

_The pain, oh, the pain. I felt the arrow pierce the flesh of my stomach and saw several others around me fall just as I did. _Flash.__

I saw Edmund's face hovering above my own. He was checking someone's pulse, but I didn't know whose. He whispered, "No," and I was flipped over backward onto my stomach, causing more pain to shoot up. Flash.__

Doctor Cornelius was telling someone that I had been poisoned. My eyes were closed and I couldn't open them, all I could do was listen. Flash.__

I was getting stitches. I hated the pulling I felt in my abdomen, but I dealt with it. I had to stay strong. Not for myself; for Edmund now. Flash.__

I heard Caspian saying he'd win this war for me. Peter and Susan told me they loved me. Doctor Cornelius said he was leaving. Then I was alone. Flash.

Everything happened in flashes. I would come to for a few minutes just to go back under the dark waters drowning me again. But there was one point that I was unconscious for a while at. I could only hear, my eyelids were still too heavy to open.

I felt someone sitting next to me and something brushed my forehead. Then the touch moved to my eyes. It traced my eyebrows, ran over my eyelids, felt along the line of my nose, stroked my cheek. Everywhere I felt it, there was a tingling when it left. It felt different, strange, mysterious. I liked it.

Then I sensed it again, only this time it was gentler. The person next to me leaned over. He or she again touched my face, only this time they specifically touched my lips. It was a soft feeling as he or she traced the line of my lips. I heard a male voice whisper, "You're so beautiful," and immediately recognized the voice. Edmund. He must be the person next to me, I thought.

Suddenly, he moved his hand and stopped. He began to speak. "Avaline, I don't think you can hear me, but I'm going to talk to you anyway." I wanted so badly to tell him that I could hear him, but unfortunately I was too weak to find my voice.

"Ava, I-I don't even know where to begin," Edmund said. "Well, I'll start by apologzing. I don't even have to imagine how much pain you're in. When I was in the Battle of Beruna and the White Witch stabbed me in the stomach... it was horrible. I still have a scar today, although it's faded a good deal, thanks to Lucy's cordial. Anyways, Avaline, I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself for doing this to you. I had no idea that you were in that hole, fighting. When I saw you, you had already stopped breathing. I got you to Doctor Corenlius and he tried bleeding out the poison that was on the arrow, but you were losing too much blood. He finally had to stitch you back up, give you some potions, and hope for the best.

"I was trying to find Lucy, but no one knows where she is. Avaline, we need that cordial to keep you alive, but we need Lucy to find Aslan to keep Old Narnia alive. You see, I'm kind of at a loss here. I just want Lu to hurry back with the cordial.

"I need to apologize for something else. I never meant to shoot you, sure, but there's something else. I yelled at you earlier today and never told you why, or that I'm sorry. Ava, I've finally figured out everything that has been confusing me for the past few months. I-I think-no, I know- that I'm in love with you."

My heart skipped a beat when I heard this. Was I dreaming? Yes, that had to be the explanation. But earlier, when he touched me... it felt so real. Maybe that's what dreams are like before death.

I was almost positive that I was awake, but I needed proof. So, mustering up all of the strength I could, I slowly opened my eyes. I blinked a few times while my eyes adjusted to the light.

Someone gasped. I looked beside me to find Edmund, his eyes wide. I slowly reached up and touched his cheek, and he leaned into the touch.

Suddenly, my heart throbbed one painfully slow beat, and thudded to a stop, skipping a good five beats. I felt my body freeze, felt my hand fall limply to my side, and felt as I went back under.

**A/N: You guys like it? I really didn't. I loved the part where Susan, Peter, and Caspian walk in and see Avaline, though. That part was the best to me. I don't like the way anyone sounded in this chapter... it was incredibly OOC in my opinion, but don't let that ruins yours! Come on, tell me what you****think! Just click that little review button ;)**


	16. Chapter 15

-Chapter 15-

**A/N: Heyyy! I'm so excited to post this chapter! I'm not going to reveal what happens because I want you all to read it yourselves, but let's just say this chapter is awesome at the end. That does not mean I want you to skip to the end, though... so don't do that. Read the whole darn thing, people! We're nearing the end of this story, only two chapters (counting this one) and an epilogue left to go, and I don't know about you, but I'm starting to get a little emotional. Fortunately for us, there's the sequel! I already posted the prologue, so if you guys want, check it out!**

I've been seriously slacking off on this, and I'm sorry. So thanks to my reviewers! I can't thank you all enough!  
Narnia and Harry Potter 4EVER, Guest, Daisy 54154, musicxlove64, Hella Monetza, Allie Danger, kaia, lucypotter14, Counting Airplanes, Guardian of Imagination, Dawn Destination, dreamlighting, i am a Fire-jay, SweetSunnyRose, 19shohop, DJ

Disclaimer: I think we've established the fact that I don't own Narnia.

-

~Lucy POV: 3rd person~

"Aslan?" Lucy said, cautiously venturing a few steps closer to the lion before her. It had its back turned and, if it wasn't Aslan, Lucy would be in serious danger.

The lion suddenly turned slowly and gracefully to face the thirteen-year-old girl, and she could barely hold in her excitement. "Aslan!" she exclaimed, hitching up her skirt and running over to him. She tackled the lion in a large embrace, burying her face in his golden mane. "You've grown," Lucy observed.

"Yes, young one. Every year you grow, I shall also grow," Aslan replied in that deep voice that always pushed away Lucy's fears.

"Oh, Aslan, why haven't you come yet? Everything has been just awful. Edmund and Avaline got in a big fight, Miraz wants to kill her and Caspian, Peter and Caspian are always arguing and disagreeing... Oh, why can't you just sweep in and save the day like last time?"

"Things never happen the same way twice, dear one," the Great Lion explained calmly. "Now, come. Your friends need our help."

And the Lion gave a great, loud roar, then they were off.

~Edmund POV: 3rd person~

Edmund couldn't help but wonder whether he had been imagining it or not. Avaline's eyes opening, her breathing, her hand on his face... it all had happened before her heart stopped. Cornelius didn't have a potion for that. Their only hope was Lucy got there soon- very soon.

But now Edmund was back in battle with Peter, Susan, and Caspian. Susan shot each soldier that came near her precisely through the heart. Peter and Caspian fought close by, dodging various blades and then striking back with their own. Edmund, on the other hand, was yelling orders to the Narnians and killing any Telmarines that got in his way.

Suddenly, a tree's roots came crawling from underneath the ground and began to creep up behind a Telmarine. That poor, unsuspecting soldier turned and the roots attacked, wrapping themselves around him until he was unconscious.

Edmund stood and watched in shock, wondering if he had imagined that, too. Either he was going crazy, or-

And then even more trees around him picked themselves up out of the ground and began to fight. They turned from the dark brown trunks and dark green leaves of an Dumb Tree, to the beautiful tan trunks and lively, spring green leaves of a Narnian Tree. Peter and Caspian had come up on either side of Edmund, and the latter heard his brother whisper, "Lucy." This name explained everything.

Lord Sopespian, who had been riding his horse and watching the battle for some time now, noticed the trees. His eyes widened considerably and he shouted orders to his men. "To the bridge!"

"To the bridge!" the Telmarines repeated, running away toward the river. The Narnians ran after them, and about a mile into the woods, they reached the bridge the Telmarines had recently built.

Lord Sopespian, on Miraz's white horse, crossed the bridge halfway before hearing the gasps from the people on the other side behind him. He turned around to see them, and followed their wide-eyed gaze until he saw something that nearly scared the man's pants off.

Peter looked around the people in front of him that were blocking his view, struggling to see what was approaching the bridge. He gasped at what he saw.

"Pete?" Edmund said, not able to see what his brother saw and wanting an explanation. Peter simply pointed across the bridge and the Just King could just barely make it out.

On the other side of the river, her dagger drawn and a sly smile on her lips, was Lucy. And as if this wasn't good enough, Aslan emerged from the trees behind her to stand beside the young girl.

Suddenly, a giant figure came rushing forward in a wave of water toward the bride. It broke within the force of the wave, and the figure, who Edmund could now see clearly enough to know it had a face, opened its mouth and swallowed Lord Sopespian.

"What is _that_?" Caspian asked disbelievingly as the wave came toward them.

"_That_ is the river god," Reepicheep explained, coming up next to the three Pevensies and Caspian.

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"Lucy!" Edmund shouted, running to his little sister and twirling her around in his arms.

Lucy giggled and her brother set her down. "What's all this about?" she asked.

"I'm just so glad to see you!" he answered. A look of worry entered his eyes.

"Edmund, what's wrong?" she said worriedly.

"Come with me." And the Pevensies, Caspian, Trufflehunter, Trumpkin, and Reepicheep ran back to Aslan's How.

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"Oh, my kings and queens!" Doctor Cornelius said when Edmund burst into the room, followed by Peter, Susan, Lucy, and Caspian. The three others had decided to wait outside, where the Just King had promised to take Avaline. "I was not expecting you back so soon."

"Lucy, over here," Edmund said, ignoring the doctor's words. He led his sister to Avaline's cot.

"Oh, Edmund," Lucy whispered. "I didn't think it was this bad." You see, Edmund had explained everything, for what seemed like the hundredth time, to Lucy on the way back to Aslan's How. She had taken everything well, much better than Susan had, but upon actually seeing it... the poor girl could hardly stand it.

"Your Majesty," Cornelius said, placing a hand on Lucy's forearm as she moved to get her cordial from her brown leather belt. She looked up at him questioningly. "I don't think it's any use."

"Why ever not?" the Valiant Queen asked.

"Queen Lucy... I believe she is gone."

Lucy stared at the professor before deciding to ignore him. She took her cordial and quickly unscrewed the lid. The thirteen-year-old allowed Caspian to take his cousin into his arms and carry her outside, where Reepicheep, Trufflehunter, and Trumpkin were waiting. Caspian set Avaline down on the grass; Lucy sat cross-legged with the girl's head in her lap.

Susan stood next to where Caspian was sitting in front of Avaline and dropped to her knees, taking Caspian's hand in her own. He squeezed the queen's hand comfortingly and she buried her head in his shoulder. Caspian couldn't lie; he enjoyed having her so close to him.

Peter sat at Avaline's right side and Edmund at her left. The youngest of the kings ran a hand through his hair nervously as his sister carefully held the cordial above Avaline's mouth. Lucy carefully allowed one drop of the red liquid slip between the princess' lips.

The barely-noticeable, but certainly there, rise and fall of the Telmarine girl's chest stopped. Lucy put two fingers to her neck and felt no pulse. She looked up to see all eyes, even the animals and dwarf's, trained on her. It would break their hearts, but Lucy had to tell them the truth. And so, meeting their gazes one by one and seeing the hopeful expressions in each, she slowly shook her head. Immediately, the entire emotional atmosphere changed.

_[music from LWW plays- Edmund uses cordial]_

Susan choked on the breath she had been holding. Peter looked away, getting choked up himself. Caspian had his eyes closed; head bowed, and face emotionless, though he was full of internal emotions. Lucy squeezed her eyes tightly shut, trying to block the tears. But Edmund... he was the most emotional of all.

Edmund watched as her heart stopped and brushed a shaking hand across her cheek gently. He hated having to see Avaline's lifeless body become paler. It couldn't be denied, though. He knew she was gone.

The Just King closed his eyes. One single tear escaped the slit of his left eye, one tear that said what none of the children could. Goodbye. He buried his face in his hands. _Why, Aslan?_ he thought helplessly. _What did she do to deserve this?_

And in his mourning, Edmund didn't even notice what was happening. For, as the medicine in Lucy's cordial spread through her body and worked in her veins, Avaline was slowly regaining life. The breath was creeping back into her lungs, her blood was flowing through her veins, and her heart began to beat again.

Avaline coughed weakly a few times; each cough made her voice stronger and stronger. Edmund peeked through his fingers at the sound to see her eyelids fluttering open.

_[music from LWW plays- Edmund comes back to life]_

Edmund could hardly believe his eyes, but when Avaline's looked around to everyone else's and finally met his, he nearly choked on his own breath. The Just King pulled her into a sitting position and drew her tight against him. Tears slid down his face, only now they were tears of joy.

Avaline smiled a weak smile into his shoulder. She supposed later that she should have been uncomfortable, what with the hard metal body armor pressed against her, but she was so happy that it didn't matter. They stayed in their embrace until Edmund let go, holding her shoulders and looking into those warm, chocolate brown eyes that he missed so much.

"When are you going to learn to do as you're told?" Edmund said, laughing through his tears. Avaline simply smiled and pulled him in again.

"I think that's my line," Peter chuckled as he joined the hug. Susan, Lucy, and Caspian all laughed and entered the embrace as well, delighted to finally have their friend back.

Avaline closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of happiness and completion she felt deep in her heart as she embraced her one true family. She felt footsteps before her and opened her eyes to see something she never dreamed of seeing.

~Avaline POV: 1st person~

"Aslan," I whispered incredulously, gently pulling away from the hugs and kneeling before him, my head bowed respectively. The others quickly caught on and mimicked my actions.

"Rise, kings and queens of Narnia," he said, and his deep, authoritive voice soothed me. In my peripheral vision, I saw Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy rising to their feet. "All of them."

Caspian and I exchanged glances and looked up at him. "Me?" my cousin asked him. Aslan nodded in response and I watched as Caspian pondered over this. "I do not think I am ready," he finally said.

"And it is for that very reason that I know you are," Aslan replied. So Caspian slowly rose to stand next to the Pevensies, leaving me as the only one still on my knees. "Thank you, Son of Adam." My cousin smiled up at him.

Aslan spoke again. "All of you are here, yet one is left un-standing. Why?"

I saw that he was talking about me. "Oh, Aslan, I do not think myself worthy of this honor," I said.

"Daughter of Eve, you have a throne."

"Yes, but it has been given to Caspian, as he is the rightful heir to the Telmarine throne."

"Do you see us in Telmar, daughter? No. Therefore, there is no rightful heir to the Telmarine throne, only the Narnian throne."

"But Aslan, I still do not understand."

"Daughter of Eve," the Lion began, "when your people left Telmar hundreds of years ago, the throne they built in Narnia was still Telmarine. Your cousin is the rightful heir to that throne. But the Telmarines have surrendered and Narnia has won the battle, so now the Narnian throne is both yours and your cousin's."

"But what of my brother?" I asked. "He is of my same blood. And my mother."

"Princess, do not worry about the future of others, as this is my job. And so I nodded and stood before the Great Lion. "Now, children, your coronation is to be held at Cair Paravel in afternoon tomorrow. Be prepared."

"Aslan?" Lucy said. "You see, Cair Paravel is in ruins."

"Yes, dear one, I know. Fortunately, I know of magic that can easily restore it to a better condition than ever it was," Aslan responded calmly. And his word was true. In two hours or less, Aslan and the six of us were at Cair Paravel, already restored just as the Lion had promised.

I had my own quarters: a bedroom, a bathroom leading off it, and a private study for my work. Caspian had the same, and the Pevensies acquired their same quarters from their own days as rulers. I had trunks full of gowns and dresses for every occasion, which is what really won me over. My old dresses from the Telmarine palace were delivered within a few hours that same day, and were stored along with my new ones in the trunk.

I was able to talk to everyone freely now, but with Edmund things were a bit awkward. He didn't mention what happened in the How when I lay dying, and neither did I. I was beginning to think that it really was just a dream, though I wasn't sure if I'd ever find out whether it really was.

So I simply spoke about better things and the happier times ahead of us and made sure not to bring up my near-death that had occurred only hours before.

**A/N: I have to admit, I laughed so hard when I read some of your reviews! I'm sorry, it may seem rude of me to say this, but did y'all seriously think I was going to kill Avaline and let Edmund suffer like that? I thought you all knew me better than that! But now that you all know that she is, in fact, alive and well, you should leave a nice review telling me how grateful you are that I didn't kill her and how much you liked this chapter. Sound good to you? It does to me ;)**

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	17. Chapter 16

-Chapter 16-

**A/N: Don't you just hate it when you thought you could trust someone, and you end up telling him/her a huge secret only to have him/her tell the person it was about? Yeah, that was confusing, and yeah, that just happened. Last week. And I'm still mad about it. :P**

**Thanks to my reviewers. I love you all!  
Narnia and Harry Potter 4EVER, Guest, Daisy 54154, musicxlove64, Hella Monetza, Allie Danger, kaia, lucypotter14, Counting Airplanes, Guardian of Imagination, Dawn Destination, dreamlighting, DJ, i am a Fire-jay, SweetSunnyRose, 19shohop**

Disclaimer: This is FAN FICTION, folks. The definition of a fan is someone that admires someone's else's creation or actions greatly. Lemme dumb it down for ya: I don't own Narnia.  


**Wrote a super-long chapter for you guys. That means I'd better get a lot more reviews than I normally get. Got it? Good. :)**

The beautiful room had a large, majestic feel to it. It had been decorated perfectly from wall to wall, floor to ceiling. Flowers hung in streams from columns, the ceiling, doorways; anywhere there was room.

I was dressed in a beautiful gown made of pure gold cloth. It had long sleeves that puffed from my shoulder to elbow, then became tight and close-fitting to my arms until they reach my wrists, where the sleeves end. The puffs in the sleeves had this bright, metallic gold showing through slits underneath. A deep, open U-neck showed a great deal of my chest, though not so much as to be inappropriate. Light gold stitching highlighted the dark gold cloth on my top. The skirt of the gown was also highlighted by the lighter stitching, and puffed out around me. It slit along the middle to show the lighter gold fabric. I was wearing the same gold flats that I had been wearing for practically the entire journey. Susan had tried to convince me to wear heels, but in the end, my stubbornness paid off and she finally gave in.

The look was completed with my long, chocolate brown hair cascading down my back in waves, my bangs pinned back by two dark gold, glittery hair clips. (My hair is just as long as the underneath of my shoulder blades, maybe a little longer.)

Caspian wore a dark gold tunic under a brown jerkin with dark brown trousers and leather knee-length boots.

Lucy was wearing a light pink gown, Susan a dark blue; Peter had on a dark purple, puffy-sleeved tunic with black trousers and boots, and Edmund had the same look, only his tunic was dark green and his trousers and boots were brown. Both men wore their swords on their belts, and all four were wearing their crowns.

As you can see, Susan did go a bit crazy today. Why? Because today was mine and Caspian's coronation day.

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I heard horns being played and hardly had time to get nervous before the door to the waiting room was opened and Trufflehunter stepped in.

"Your Majesties, Aslan awaits," the badger said.

Peter nodded and walked to the doorway. He looked to his right, where Susan stood directly next to him and Lucy stood beside her. He looked to his left, expecting to find his brother, but the space next to him was empty.

The blonde-haired king turned to glance behind him and saw Edmund standing between his siblings and me. He looked at me and then back to Peter, then turned back to me once more. We locked eyes and he turned once again to exchange glances with his older brother. And silently, as if they had communicated telepathically, Peter left with the other two of his siblings trailing behind him, along with Trufflehunter and Caspian. That meant me and Edmund were alone.

We stood for a moment in silence. The Just King suddenly stepped toward me. He took one of my hands in his and began playing with my fingers absentmindedly.

"I'm so nervous," I said, looking up into his eyes.

Edmund looked up from my fingers and looked back at me. "Don't be. There's nothing to be worried about," he replied calmly. I simply nodded in answer. "You look beautiful."

His compliment took me completely by surprise. No one had told me that yet today, that is, if you didn't count Lucy and Susan's endless gushing over how evidently "gorgeous" I looked. I had rolled my eyes at them. But Edmund's words were different. He wasn't gushing over me, or talking about how every man in Narnia would be requesting my hand in marriage. His words had an air of truth and passion to them.

I was speechless at having heard him say that to me; Edmund hadn't called anybody, let alone me, beautiful since that day. But despite this, I managed to muster up a tiny, "Thanks," while blushing.

Another horn blowing reminded us of our duties. "I guess that's us," I chuckled casually. I turned to leave, but the dark-haired king grabbed my arm, spun me around, and pulled me into a hug. His embrace was tight, and I couldn't help but feel protected in his arms. But before long, the hug had lasted too long. "Edmund," I murmured, pulling back. He didn't let go.

When he finally did, however, all he said was, "Good luck." Then Trufflehunter appeared in the doorway completely out of nowhere (I was convinced he was listening the whole time on the other side of the wall without our knowledge) and the badger grabbed my hand and led me to the foyer. There, I saw the others waiting.

"Finally," Peter said at the sight of his brother and I, "I thought you two would never come down here!"

He began laughing, and Susan and I exchanged glances, both of us rolling our eyes simultaneously at the High King.

He became serious suddenly and abruptly began speaking to Caspian. "You're about to take over my place as king. Are you ready?"

My cousin looked back at him nervously. "I am not sure."

"Well, you had better get that way, because in a little while, you'll be King Caspian."

Caspian looked down at the marble floor beneath his feet, then back at the nineteen-year-old blonde king. "I will," he finally answered.

"Of course, you'll never be as good as me..." Peter assured him playfully, then began laughing when his face turned to one of nervousness again. "Relax, Caspian. I was only joking!"

Just then, the trumpets blew again, and the four Pevensies assembled at the large double doors in the same fashion they had held their own coronation hundreds of years ago: side by side, chins raised high, Edmund at the far left and Lucy at the far right, Susan placed between Lucy and Peter, and Peter placed between Susan and Edmund.

One guard stood on either side of the doors, each with a hand placed on one of the golden, horizontally-curved knobs. The trumpets blew one last, final note, and the guards opened the doors at the same time.

The four Golden Age monarchs entered the Great Hall, where the coronation was taking place, walked gracefully down the wide aisle to the front of the room. Through the open doorway, I saw what looked to be thousands to people and animals gathered on either side of the pathway made for the royals.

Caspian noticed my uneasiness and patted my shoulder comfortingly. "It's going to be okay," he reassured me, a small smile on his mouth. I nodded. What was I so worried about anyway?

_Oh, I don't know_, I thought. _I'm only afraid of tripping on my dress, falling over, missing something, forgetting to curtsy after I'm given my crown-_

I let these thoughts surpass my mind and exchanged a glance with Caspian that said, _I'm ready._

And so we began making our way through the doors and down the aisle, each step we took leading us closer to our destiny. When we finally reached the front of the room, just before the two huge, marble steps leading to the thrones, Peter took a step to his left side to make room for Caspian in the line, and Susan took a step to her right to make room for me.

The four Pevensies along with Caspian and I were all leaning forward and exchanging excited glances until we heard quiet footsteps padding toward us from behind. I looked sideways to see a golden mane atop a soft, gentle head that was very familiar. It would be hard for anyone to forget this face. "Aslan," Caspian whispered whilst I stared in amazement.

He acknowledged my cousin with a small nod and a delicate look in his eyes. Then the Great Lion began to speak.

"Welcome, Narnians and Telmarines alike." Here he looked to the crowd and bowed his head ever so slightly to the people in it. "We have gathered today for the coronation of Prince Caspian the Tenth, and Princess Avaline the First." Aslan paused and glanced over to someone standing off to the side. "Step forward, Trumpkin."

Trumpkin came forward as the Lion had said, carrying two large, heavy-looking, gold cloaks. Upon further examination, I realized without a doubt in my mind that it was made of the golden fur of a lion. Each was lined in red fur, though not that of an animal.

Once the dwarf had placed one of the cloaks on my shoulders and the other on Caspian's he came to stand on the bottom step, his back straight and arms behind his back

Aslan explained the significance of the cloaks. "Let these golden cloaks stand as a reminder of your bravery. They will clothe you and bring you warmth, just as you have brought to Narnia." He paused and waited for Trumpkin to step away before continuing. "Step forward, Trufflehunter."

The badger moved to stand on one of the steps beside us. He held in his paws a velvet pillow of a rich, red color, the pillow holding two crowns. Aslan nodded, and Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy took their seats on their thrones. Once they were comfortably seated, Caspian and I moved to stand before our own thrones, facing the crowd as we had been the whole time.

"Come, bring the crowns," Aslan ordered, gesturing with his big, furry paw to my cousin and I. Trufflehunter, still holding the pillow, came to stand on the top step directly in front of us. Then the crowning began.

Aslan began by announcing the previous Narnian kings and queens of past. "Narnia has been in existence for a long time. Over that period of time, many humans have come into this world and helped it, and many will come. Many rulers and leaders have directed this land. The following of these kind people shall be remembered always by Narnians alike: King Frank, Queen Helen, Digory Kirke, Polly Plummer, Queen Swanwhite, King Lune of Archenland, Prince Cor or Archenland, Prince Corin of Archenland, Aravis Tarkheena of Tashbaan, High King Peter, Queen Susan, King Edmund, Queen Lucy, and now, two more will be added."

Trufflehunter came to stand before Lucy. He bowed respectively to the king before him. "To the glistening eastern sea, I have given you Queen Lucy, the Valiant," Aslan told the onlookers.

Trufflehunter moved to the complete other side of the line so he was standing in front of Edmund. "To the great western wood, King Edmund, the Just."

Trufflehunter again moved to Lucy's side to stand before Susan. "To the radiant southern sun, Queen Susan, the Gentle."

Trufflehunter walked over to Edmund's side and stood before Peter. "And to the clear, northern sky, I have given you King Peter, the Magnificent."

Cheering erupted in the crowd as they applauded their old rulers. Aslan raised a paw to silence it after a few moments, and the room fell quiet. Trufflehunter moved to stand before me and my cousin. The Great Lion spoke, "I have given you these four rulers, and they have ruled well over your ancestors. They will continue to rule as long as their stay in Narnia, but it is time for them to be added."

Trufflehunter stepped to the left and, though I knew he must have been tired from walking to and fro so much on such short legs, he managed not to show it as he stood before my fellow Telmarine. "To the northwestern gorge in Ettinsmoor, I give you King Caspian... the Dissentient." I watched as Caspian leaned in his head downward slightly to help the badger reach his head. Trufflehunter bowed after placing the heavy silver crown, that slightly resembled Edmund's, atop his new king's black hair. Caspian bowed in thanks and grinned.

The badger now approached and stood before me. I felt all eyes trained on me. "And now, to the sweet, Silver Sea, I give you Queen Avaline... the Passionate!" I leaned down to allow Trufflehunter's gentle paws plant the pretty silver tiara atop my brown locks. Curved perfectly into hearth shapes, my crown seemed fit for a Passionate Queen. I curtsied to the animal and he bowed respectively in return.

Aslan signaled for us to sit on our thrones, and as I did, a wide smile suddenly spread across my lips. "Once a king or queen of Narnia... always a king or queen. Bear it well!" And with that came shouts of, "Long live King Peter, long live Queen Susan, long live King Edmund, long live Queen Lucy," and the loudest of all: "Long live King Caspian, long live Queen Avaline!"

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I was standing alone at the refreshments table, watching the others socialize with their Narnian subjects. I had spoken to several Telmarines that I had known before the war and several Narnians who were curious to meet their new queen. It was quite interesting, seeing as how Narnians are so much more different than Telmarines. I guess I should've expected it, though. After all, my ancestors didn't have the bodies of goats and horses!

It was then that I realized I hadn't seen Aslan in a while. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something moving outside on the beach from the balcony. I saw the flicker of gold fur from the sun shining down on it and ran to the balcony overlooking the beach below.

I saw what I had suspected; Aslan was taking a stroll by himself along the beach, the sun setting over the ocean in front of him and casting golden shadows along his thick coat. The stories had said enough about Aslan for me to know where he was going.

"Aslan," I whispered, "I still need you."

Even from the long distance, it was as if he could hear me, for just then, the Lion turned around and met my eyes. Almost immediately, an overwhelming sense of security flowed through me as I looked at him. I heard a voice in my head, one with authority that I had never heard before, whisper soothingly, _Don't worry, dear one. Everything will be fine._

And as I watched the Great Lion vanish into the sunset, a few silent tears slipped down my cheeks. The sense of security vanished, but I was fine when I realized he was watching me. No matter where I was, Aslan was always giving me his protection. But seeing him go away... it was just too much. The tears continued to spill.

I leaned against the white railing of the balcony for support, my elbows resting on it.

"Something wrong?" a voice behind me asked. I turned to see Edmund. I shook my head, wiping the back of my hand across my cheeks in an unsuccessful attempt at wiping away my tears. This obviously didn't convince him. "What is it?"

"It's just-" I trailed off, hesitant. He moved to lean on the railing next to me, him, too, resting his elbows on it. He nodded encouragingly and I continued. "When I imagined sitting on the throne, I thought everything would be okay again." Edmund looked at me quizzically. "It isn't," I explained shortly.

"Can I help?" he asked. I shook my head again and he paused, thinking about his next words. "Then what are you going to do?"

"Suffer," I responded simply.

"That won't do," he muttered quietly, so quietly that I wasn't sure he meant for me to hear. Edmund suddenly changed plans, I could see from his face. "Has anyone told you that you look absolutely stunning today?"

I giggled. "Yes, you."

"Oh," he said, chuckling. "I suppose I did." We stayed silent for a while, watching the pink waves crash to shore. "Still upset?" he asked.

I looked up and nodded. What happened next was something unexpected, something I never considered happening.

Edmund slowly declined his head and leaned in. His lips unexpectedly met mine gently. He had one hand cupping my cheek and the other on the railing behind me. (I had somehow ended up with my back pressed against the balcony railing, though I had no idea how.)

"Well, how about this," he said, pulling away slightly and removing his hand from my face while keeping the other one the railing. "Has anyone told you they loved you today?" My eyes widened in shock as I realized the meaning behind his words. My lips curved into a smile and our mouths crashed together again, only this time in a hopeful, joy-filled kiss.

"I love you," he murmured.

"I love you, too," I replied, and suddenly all the pieces fell into place. The stars were aligned, the reflections in the mirror matched, the pages were turned, and everything was perfect.

I had finally gotten just the justice I deserved.

-

**A/N: I loved the ending of this chapter. I honestly hated the beginning of this chapter and have much higher expectations for myself than that as a writer, but I was having some bad writer's block and didn't really know what to say. It gradually got better until the end, though, which was good.**

**As you can see, this is the last chapter of "Just the Justice." I still have the epilogue to post, but after that we're done. Once again, Avaline and Edmund will be coming back along with the other Pevensies, Caspian, and a few new faces from different places! No, like seriously. Characters from Calormen, Archenland, etc. It's going to be really cool.**

**Well, all I have to say is: watch out for the epilogue. I'll be posting it soon! Very, very soon I hope. It's my favorite chapter of the whole story, if that tells you anything...**

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	18. Epilogue

-Epilogue-

**A/N: I can hardly believe that it's finally here! The ending of "Just the Justice." It's pretty sad for me... leave a review if you agree. By the way, just as a little going-away present for this story, so to speak, I'd like every reader that sees this chapter to PLEASE REVIEW. This will be my last post on this story before it's officially finished and done with, and since reviews don't come in very much after a story is finished, I'd like to get as many as I can before the end of the week. If that's at all possible, it'd really make my day :) Thanks, and I love you all. And I'll prove it by writing an author's note after this chapter. Anyways, I know you folks probably want to get reading, so I'll let you.**

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Narnia. No matter how much I wish I did. I also don't own "The Call" by Regina Spektor, a song that will be featured in this chapter. I DO own Avaline, Skandar (his name, not his character), Glenstorm, Lady Balmia, Lord Jeffrey, and any other OCs I may have forgotten.

-  
  
"Narnia belongs to the Narnians, just as it does to man," Caspian began. We were standing with Aslan and the four Pevensies on the courtyard steps of the Telmarine castle. "Any Telmarines to wish to stay and live in peace are welcome to. But for any of you who wish, Aslan will return you to the home of our forefathers."

A Telmarine man in the crowd spoke, "It's been generations since we left Telmar!"

"We weren't referring to Telmar," Aslan said calmly. "Your ancestors were seafaring brigands. Pirates run aground on an island. There they found a cave, a rare chasm that brought them here from their world. It is to that island I can take you. It is a good place for any who wish to make a new start." The Lion looked around in the crowd for takers.

Then a man in the front declared, "I will go." He stepped forward, and I recognized the scruffy, dark facial hair and bruise under one eye to be the features of General Glozelle. "I will accept the offer."

"So will we," a familiar voice agreed, and I looked up to see my mother and brother holding hands and coming forward with a lord of my father's council.

"Because you have spoken first, your future in that world shall be good," Aslan promised. The entrance to the other world was through a hole between two twisted, deformed-looking trees. The four Telmarines were stepping forward, so I went with my gut and made my decision.

"Mother!" I cried, running to her. To the various onlookers around us, I probably didn't look very queenly at the moment, but I didn't care.

My mother turned and opened her arms for me. "I always knew you'd forgive me. It wasn't my fault, and if it could've been in my control-"

"I know, mother. I know," I said comfortingly. I wrapped my arms around the retired Telmarine queen.

"Darling, I want you to know that no matter what happens, I will always be proud of you and love you," she said, hugging me back.

I took hold of my mother's shoulders and held her at arm's length in front of me. "Oh mother, why can't you stay here? You could watch me rule Narnia!"

"Avaline, I don't think that would be a good idea. I love you, but Skandar doesn't deserve a life without a second chance. I'm sorry. Besides," she added with a twinkle in her eye, "I wouldn't want to get in the way of you and the Just King-I think he likes you!"

"Sure, mother," I agreed, laughing while hugging her yet again. She embraced me tightly and I leaned my head against the woman's shoulder. I suddenly remembered that I had been wrong before. It wasn't my family I was running from, it was Miraz. My mother had always been there for me, even now when I had put her through so much.

I let a tear slide down my cheek silently. "I love you, mommy," I whispered.

"I love you, too, Avaline." And Queen Prunaprismia kissed my hair soothingly as only a true mother can before taking my brother's hand again.

I leaned down, hands on my knees, until I was at Skandar's height. "I will miss you, little man," I said, ruffling his hair with one hand. The six-year-old boy giggled and wrapped his skinny arms around me. I looked down lovingly at him, the brother I never really got to know. Over the last week after the coronation, my mother and brother had been staying at Cair Paravel with me, and I'd built a good relationship with the little prince. So good, in fact, that my eyes became wet as I watched them walk hand-in-hand to the tree.

I shook hands respectfully with the Telmarine lord and General Glozelle before the four of them vanished from Narnia.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Edmund staring at me intensely. This reminded me of our walk in the woods so long ago...

_It started out as a feeling  
Which then grew into a hope  
_  
And our first kiss, how we had silently told each other everything through it, even though we didn't even understand how we really felt about each other then. And then how he told me through his actions, and slowly let in to his words, that he loved me.

_Which then turned into a quiet thought  
Which then turned into a quiet word_

Each time he told me that, we both loved each other with a feeling stronger and stronger. And yet, from all the stories I've read, one day it'll blow up right in our faces. But I never want to let him go.

_Then that word grew louder and louder  
Until it was a battle cry  
I'll come back when you call me  
No need to say goodbye_

I smiled at Edmund only to realize I had been completely zoned out and hadn't heard a word they'd said for a few minutes now.

"We'll go," Peter volunteered.

"We will?" Lucy asked, confused. That made two of us.

"Come on. Our time's up," he said. "After all, we're not really needer here anymore." He glanced at me, then turned to Caspian. Peter handed my cousin Rhindon, Peter's sword given to him by Father Christmas their first year in Narnia.

"I will take care of it until you return," Caspian promised, gazing at the shining weapon in his hands in awe.

"I'm afraid that's just it," Susan said quietly. "We're not coming back." I gasped, covering my mouth in shock. They were leaving? No, they couldn't be!

"We're not?" Lucy questioned, clearly upset.

"You two are," Peter said. "Or at least, I think that's what he meant." He glanced at Aslan toward the end of his sentence.

The Valiant Queen turned to the Lion. "But why? Did they do something wrong?"

"Quite the opposite, dear one," Aslan said. "But all things have their time. Your brother and sister have learned what they can from this world. Now it's time they live in their own."

The strawberry-blonde-haired girl looked down at the concrete at her feet, and I knew her well enough to recognize that she was upset.

"It's alright, Lu," Peter comforted his sister. "It's not how I thought it would be, but it's alright." He paused. "One day you'll see. Come on."

_Just because everything's changing  
Doesn't mean that it's never been this way before  
All you can do is try to know who your friends are  
As you head off to the war_

"I'm glad I came back," Susan said, approaching Caspian. I was definitely jealous over her dress, but I'm sure I could have one made just like it now that I'm a queen.

"I wish we had more time together," the new king replied.

"It never would've worked anyway."

"Why not?" Caspian's face was quizzical.

"Well, I am 1300 years older than you," she remarked with a chuckle. They simply looked into each other's eyes and then Susan began to turn and walk away. She stopped in her tracks, though, surprising us all, and quickly closed the space she had put between her and Caspian.

It took me several moments to realize what was happening, but when I did, I was shocked. Susan, Queen Susan the Gentle, was kissing my cousin!

I saw it in both of their eyes; their emotions were written clear on their faces. Caspian wanted her to stay so badly. I knew how he was feeling; I was feeling it right now. Susan's emotions were a bit better hidden. But Susan wanted to stay in Narnia; that much was obvious.

I'm sure Caspian could tell that the Pevensies would come back one day. Just not the one he wanted to see the most. But then again, Aslan works in strange ways… maybe when the happy days were over and trouble yet again arose, they would come back.

_Pick a star on the dark horizon  
And follow the light  
You'll come back when it's over  
No need to say goodbye_

From farther off, I heard Peter snickering.

"I'm sure when I'm older, I'll understand," Lucy said thoughtfully.

Peter coughed to hide a laugh. "I'm older and I don't think I want to understand!"

I saw Edmund simply roll his eyes at his siblings, for he knew how it felt to love someone. He caught Avaline's gaze and smiled at her, and she could hardly help but smile back at him.

Peter suddenly had a change in expressions. His face turned serious and he began to turn toward the tree. Susan and Lucy were slowly walking after them until they stood directly in front of it, but Edmund had other plans.

"Wait!" he exclaimed, dashing over to me. He quickly took my face in his hands an held it there. "Look, I don't know when I'm coming back, okay? But it might be a while. Don't hesitate to fall in love with someone else," he said, although I could see that it pained him greatly. "I'm not worth the wait."

Then he kissed me. I heard coos, applause, and laughter from all different directions, but I ignored it. All that mattered in that moment was Edmund.

No one really understood us; nobody caught onto our abnormal relationship. As the result, no one knew about me and him, but now they did. I didn't care. What I did care about was that no one knew how much we truly cared for each other.

He let go of me and took a step back. "Don't leave me," I choked out.

"I'm sorry, Ava. I have to." I felt a tear fall down my face. He used his thumb to reach up and wipe it away. "I'm not worth that either. But I love you."

"I love you, too," I whispered. And then, with one last loving hug from each of them, they were gone.

_Now we're back to the beginning  
It's just a feeling and no one knows yet  
But just because they can't feel it too  
Doesn't mean that you have to forget  
_  
I knew no matter how far away he was, I'd never forget Edmund Pevensie. Over time, memories fade away, but love is something eternal, something no one can take away. Soon enough, he'd be here with me again. I just had to be patient.

_Let your memories grow stronger and stronger  
Until they're before your eyes  
You'll come back  
When I call you  
No need to say goodbye_

"I love you, Ed," I whispered again. And somehow I felt he could hear me.

_You'll come back  
When I call you  
No need to say goodbye_

**A/N: Well, I'm sorry to say this, but the story has come to a close. I will post a chapter after this that will only be an author's note thanking everyone for being so supportive of me and this story, and telling you a little bit about my plans for a series out of this story in the future. So please don't forget to read that when I post it, though I'll probably post it at the same time I post this chapter… anyways, leave one last final review to tell me what you thought. This was my favorite chapter out of the entire story, and I hope it lived up to your expectations. See y'all in the reviews!**

**~CheerLoveGale**

**REVIEW!**


	19. Author's Note

**- Author's Note-**

Hey, everyone. I just wanted to tell you a couple of things before I begin working on the sequel, _Mostly the Magnificent_. I'm going to give my thanks for all the people who have supported me throughout this story, give some peeks at my plans for the rest of the series, and explain anything that may not have been clear when you first read this.

**Firstly,** I'm going to start off by thanking you all. It means so much to have people reading my story in the first place, but having readers and reviewers as great as you guys… it's amazing. I've been blessed with such wonderful people reading my story, and I'm not going to let them go unrewarded. I know that there's really nothing I can do to thank y'all, but maybe showing my readers your names will be enough.

Reading the reviews I get after posting each chapter has been something that gets me through school every day. I tell myself that I just need to hold out a little longer, and before I know it, I'll be home reading reviews. That's all it takes to get me going, and I thank you guys for that! So, thanks to the following reviewers. (if I left anyone out, I'm really sorry!)

_**Narnia and Harry Potter 4EVER**__**, **__**Guest**__**, **__**Daisy 54154**__**, **__**musicxlove64**__**, **__**Hella Monetza**__**, **__**Allie Danger**__**, **__**kaia**__**, **__**lucypotter14**__**, **__**Counting Airplanes**__**, **__**Guardian of Imagination**__**, **__**Dawn Destination**__**, **__**dreamlighting**__**, **__**DJ**__**, **__**i am a Fire-jay**__**, **__**SweetSunnyRose**__**, **__**19shohop**__**  
**_

**Secondly,** I want to give some peeks at my future writing in sequels to _Just the Justice_. Now, anyone who knows me knows that I can't give up on anything that I write after I finish it. I have to continue writing one-shots, sequels, prequels; anything I can do until I grow tired of it. I feel like this story has been my first real success at writing fanfiction because I've gotten so many responses! And since I love this story so much, I can assure you that I won't give up on writing companions to it any time soon.

I plan on writing several different things to go with this story. As you all probably know, I am already working on the sequel, _Mostly the Magnificent_. I have already posted the prologue, but I had told you I wasn't going to start posting the actual chapters until I finished this story. Well, now I have, and I'm ready to start posting. It's going to be a really good story; please read it!

The summary of this story is: _The four Pevensies return to Narnia two years after they left. They find and catch up with King Caspian and Queen Avaline, only to discover that Narnia is in perfect hands and is in no need of their help. The four kings and queens of old decide to stay after the two Telmarines ask them to stay and help them rule during their visit. While at a ball celebrating their return, Caspian announces that Edmund and Avaline are officially courting, which brings much happiness to the guests. Then Caspian announces that Peter is betrothed to a girl named Analiese Welch. At their engagement party, a pretty Calormene girl, Morgana, meets Edmund. When they begin to get to know each other, will he begin to fall for her rather than Avaline? Does Morgana have something to hide? And what happens when the ugly truth is released?_

Doesn't it sound great? I can't wait to start posting it! I've already finished writing chapter five, but I only have chapter one typed up and ready to post. I think that this new story is going to be a real hit, because when I posted the prologue to _Just the Justice_, I didn't have any reviews until chapter three. But on _Mostly the Magnificent_, I've only posted the prologue and I already have six reviews! That's excellent, people; let's keep that up!

Also, I plan on doing another sequel after _Mostly the Magnificent_. I decided that since I would've already done one on Edmund and Peter, I'd do one on Lucy. Of course Edmund and Peter would still be in it, though! Only in that story, I don't think I want Lucy to fall in love with anyone. I think someone's going to fall in love with _her_, and several mysterious things happen that lead up to everyone's trust in her failing, and the Pevensies not knowing who to believe anymore. I'm not going to give away anything else since I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet and I don't want anyone stealing my ideas. (I don't think y'all would do that, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.)

**Last, but not least, **I want to clear some things up that may have confused you while you were reading _Just the Justice_. Feel free to reread and re-review it if you want to after I say what I'm going to say.

I'm going to start with chapter one. I got mixed up while writing this because (stupid me!) I wasn't going by a plotline or anything, and some things got mixed around. I said in that chapter that Avaline and Caspian had met Trumpkin a month ago, but later in the author's note at the end of the chapter, I said they had just met him two days ago. Well, the real thing was they met him a month ago because it goes with the story better and it was the time I had decided on when I first started writing this.

In chapter two, when Avaline was explaining to Trufflehunter and Nikabrik why she ran away from Miraz, I accidentally made her say, "my uncle," instead of, "my father," when she was talking about him. I guess I was thinking of Caspian's relationship with Miraz while I was writing about Avaline's and it all came out wrong. But trust me, Avaline is Miraz's daughter and Caspian X is Caspian IX's son. Ava and Caspian are cousins!

In chapter three, when Caspian and Peter fight before they introduce each other, Trumpkin pins Avaline's arms behind her back and gags her with a cloth. When Lucy yells to stop and they meet each other, Caspian asks Peter to tell Trumpkin to let go of Avaline. When he does, I accidentally made it sound like they were meeting each other for the first time. I wasn't thinking straight when I wrote the first few chapters of this story… please forgive me. They already knew each other!

I think that's pretty much all that needs clearing up except for their ages. In _Just the Justice_:

Peter—19  
Caspian—19  
Susan—18  
Edmund—17  
Avaline—16  
Lucy—13

In _Mostly the Magnificent_:

Peter—21  
Caspian—21  
Susan—20  
Edmund—19  
Avaline—18  
Lucy—15

This note is turning out way longer than I thought it would, probably because of endless babbling. I'm sorry about that… ask any of my friends, they'll tell you that not only do I write a lot, but my mouth runs a mile a minute sometimes. Haha!

Well, I think that I'm going to wrap this up now. If you have any questions or ideas on either story, please PM me and I'll clear it up! Thanks so much to my readers for giving me enough inspiration to start a sequel. You guys are awesome!

~CheerLoveGale


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